Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions
Productivity and energy efficiency of industrial units for methanol synthesis strongly depend on adopted configuration for the synthesis reactor(s). Several configurations are described in literature and are commercially available.In this work, a reactor configuration of shell-and-tube type, with ca...
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Fuel Processing Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025001122 |
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| author | Grazia Leonzio Giovanni Manenti Marcello Maria Bozzini Roberto Baratti Flavio Manenti |
| author_facet | Grazia Leonzio Giovanni Manenti Marcello Maria Bozzini Roberto Baratti Flavio Manenti |
| author_sort | Grazia Leonzio |
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| description | Productivity and energy efficiency of industrial units for methanol synthesis strongly depend on adopted configuration for the synthesis reactor(s). Several configurations are described in literature and are commercially available.In this work, a reactor configuration of shell-and-tube type, with catalyst on tube-side and coolant on shell-side, and with the shell-side split into two zones (double-zone methanol reactor - DZMR) is described. Such a DZMR allows installing shell-side cooling conditions that are overall non-isothermal; specifically, one shell-side zone operates in isothermal conditions whereas the other shell-side zone operates in non-isothermal conditions. Accordingly, the present work analyzes and compares the DZMR productivity under different shell-side operating conditions, with the thermal oil used as shell-side coolant. Analysis and comparison are carried out by modelling a small-scale DZMR: productivity, yield and carbon conversion are evaluated by means of process modelling in Aspen Plus software.Results show that a DZMR with overall non-isothermal shell-side cooling conditions has a high efficiency: methanol productivity (328 tons of MeOH per year), yield and conversion (41 %) are the highest, energy consumption is the lowest and required coolant flowrate is the smallest. The DZMR here described realizes to be operationally flexible and more efficient than conventional shell-and-tube type isothermal reactors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7ff9d5faa7c84606abe329f35f0f3714 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0378-3820 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| series | Fuel Processing Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-7ff9d5faa7c84606abe329f35f0f37142025-08-20T03:32:00ZengElsevierFuel Processing Technology0378-38202025-10-0127610828810.1016/j.fuproc.2025.108288Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditionsGrazia Leonzio0Giovanni Manenti1Marcello Maria Bozzini2Roberto Baratti3Flavio Manenti4Cagliari University, Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; Corresponding author.Independent engineer, 24064 Grumello del Monte, ItalyPolitecnico Di Milano, Dipartimento CMIC “Giulio Natta”, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyCagliari University, Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, via Marengo 2, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyPolitecnico Di Milano, Dipartimento CMIC “Giulio Natta”, Piazza Leonardo Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, ItalyProductivity and energy efficiency of industrial units for methanol synthesis strongly depend on adopted configuration for the synthesis reactor(s). Several configurations are described in literature and are commercially available.In this work, a reactor configuration of shell-and-tube type, with catalyst on tube-side and coolant on shell-side, and with the shell-side split into two zones (double-zone methanol reactor - DZMR) is described. Such a DZMR allows installing shell-side cooling conditions that are overall non-isothermal; specifically, one shell-side zone operates in isothermal conditions whereas the other shell-side zone operates in non-isothermal conditions. Accordingly, the present work analyzes and compares the DZMR productivity under different shell-side operating conditions, with the thermal oil used as shell-side coolant. Analysis and comparison are carried out by modelling a small-scale DZMR: productivity, yield and carbon conversion are evaluated by means of process modelling in Aspen Plus software.Results show that a DZMR with overall non-isothermal shell-side cooling conditions has a high efficiency: methanol productivity (328 tons of MeOH per year), yield and conversion (41 %) are the highest, energy consumption is the lowest and required coolant flowrate is the smallest. The DZMR here described realizes to be operationally flexible and more efficient than conventional shell-and-tube type isothermal reactors.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025001122MethanolSynthesisDouble-zone reactorModellingSimulation |
| spellingShingle | Grazia Leonzio Giovanni Manenti Marcello Maria Bozzini Roberto Baratti Flavio Manenti Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions Fuel Processing Technology Methanol Synthesis Double-zone reactor Modelling Simulation |
| title | Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions |
| title_full | Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions |
| title_fullStr | Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions |
| title_short | Analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non-isothermal cooling conditions |
| title_sort | analysis of a methanol synthesis reactor operating in non isothermal cooling conditions |
| topic | Methanol Synthesis Double-zone reactor Modelling Simulation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378382025001122 |
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