Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of Russian ...

OP-IV-11ADVANCEMENT OF SLURRY BUBBLE COLUMN REACTORS FORCLEAN LIQUID FUELS PRODUCTIONMuthanna H. Al-Dahhan, N. Rados, A. Shaikh, L. Han, C. WuChemical Reaction Engineering Laboratory (CREL), Department of Energy, Environmental,and Chemical Engineering, Washington University,One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1198, St. Louis, MO, 63130-4899, USAGas to Liquid Fischer Tropsch (FT) synthesis is a acknowledged route for production ofclean fuels and chemicals from synthesis gas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide)obtained from natural gas, coal or biomass. FT conversions are associated with highexothermic heat for which an efficient mean of heat removal is needed. Therefore, slurrybubble column reactors operated in churn turbulent flow regimes are the reactor of choice forsuch conversions. Successful commercialization of these reactors needs thoroughunderstanding of prevailing hydrodynamics and transports for proper design, scale up,performance and operation.To achieve these, 5 companies [ConocoPhillips (USA), Eni (Italy), Johnson Matthey(UK), Sasol (South Africa) and Statoil-GTL-F1 (Norway-South Africa)] have supported anextensive research effort since 1999. For such effort our laboratory at Washington Universityis collaborating with Ohio State University and with Rensselaer Polytechniq Institute. AtWashington University advanced measurement techniques have been used and developedwhich provide the needed fundamental understanding of these complex reactors. Thesetechniques are: Computer automated radioactive particle tracking (CARPT) techniques for themeasurement of 3D flow structure, velocity, turbulent parameters, residence time, etc.;computed tomography (CT) and dual source computed tomography (DSCT) for themeasurement of the cross sectional phases distribution along the reactor height; 4-pointoptical probe for bubble dynamics measurements (bubble size, velocity, local gas holdup andinterfacial area); overall gas dynamic tracer technique; optical probe for mass transfermeasurement and overall mass transfer coefficient measurement; heat transfer probe thatmimicked the heat exchanging internals; dynamics pressure transducers. A number ofachievements have been made due to such advanced fundamental understanding ofbubble/slurry bubble column. These are: advanced mechanistic reactor scale models; noninvasivetechnique for flow regime identification, new methodology for scale up bubblecolumn, new methodology to measure FT gases mass transfer coefficients; true and accuratetracer response for the liquid and slurry; accurate characterization of the gas phase extentmixing; detailed flow behavior and transport parameters mapping in a mimicked FT160