A novel approach for the assessment of the rate limiting step in the Fischer-Tropsch slurry process

Conference · Fri Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:126478

Inga, J R; Morsi, B I ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Pittsburgh, PA (United States)

The rate limiting step in the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) slurry process was assessed using a simple computer model. This model, unlike others, takes into account the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction in the calculation of the importance of the gas-liquid mass transfer and makes use of the {open_quotes}Singular Kinetic Path{close_quotes} concept proposed by Espinoza in 1993. The predictions from the model showed that for the available catalysts the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis could be considered a kinetically-controlled process. CO has mass transfer coefficients lower than H{sub 2}, is consumed by both FT and WGS reactions, and is likely to be the limiting reactant in the process. The reactor performance could be improved by increasing the catalyst activity and operating in the mass-controlled regime. Also, an increase of the catalyst concentration up to a maximum of 37-40 wt.% could improve the reactor performance, although the reactor would be operating in a mass transfer-controlled regime due to the relatively high catalyst concentration.

• OSTI ID: 126478
• Report Number(s): CONF-950402--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
CARBON MONOXIDE
CATALYSTS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS
HYDROGEN
MASS TRANSFER
PERFORMANCE
SHIFT PROCESSES