Simulation study of the effect of water removal from Fischer-Tropsch products on the process performance using a hydrophilic membrane reactor

摘要

In this study, a mathematical model describing Fischer-Tropsch synthesis over an iron catalyst carried out in two configurations of membrane reactors was developed to predict the process performance. For this purpose, the impact of water removal from the reaction side on syngas conversion and on hydrocarbons selectivity was theoretically analyzed and quantified under different operating conditions. The obtained main results reveal that the process can be intensified when the catalyst was packed in a single region, whereas the produced water was continuously removed from the reaction side to the permeate side, which is constituted of two identical and parallel regions. This configuration design is characterized by a sufficient large area, which can enable fast water removal by an adequate sweep-fluid flow rate. As a result, the conversion and product selectivity could be enhanced obviously at the suitable conditions.