Partial oxidation of methane to syngas in different reactor types
- CSIRO Division of Coal and Energy Technology, Menai (Australia)
The performance of Rh/ZnO/{gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} catalyst for partial oxidation of methane to syngas was compared in fixed and fluidised bed reactors. Catalyst activity was found not to be a limiting factor under any experimental conditions and complete oxygen conversions were observed in all tests. In the fixed bed reactor both methane conversion and syngas selectivity were increasing with space velocity as the result of an autothermal effect. Satisfactory control of the catalyst temperature at high space velocities could only be achieved with addition of inert diluent or steam to the feed. Different conversion and selectivity patterns were observed in fluidised bed reactor. Methane conversion and carbon monoxide selectivity were decreasing with increasing gas flow. By contrast, hydrogen selectivity showed distinct maximum at medium space velocities. These results are interpreted in terms of catalyst backmixing and its effect on primary and secondary reactions. Improved temperature control was also achieved in fluidised bed reactor. Several experiments using fluidised bed reactor were carried out at elevated pressures. To eliminate the occurrence of non-catalytic gas phase reactions between methane and oxygen very short feed mixing times (< 1 ms) were employed. Despite these measures the reactor could not be successfully operated at pressures above 0.7 MPa. The implications of these findings for process development are discussed.
- OSTI ID:
- 126443
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950402--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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