Fundamental kinetics of methane oxidation in supercritical water

Journal Article · · Energy and Fuels; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ef00027a009· OSTI ID:5143565

Webley, P A; Tester, J W ^[1]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge (United States)

The oxidation kinetics of methane in supercritical water were determined in an isothermal, plug flow reactor over the temperature range 560-650 C at 245.8 bar. The oxidation rate was found to be first order in methane concentration and {sup 2}/{sub 3}-order in oxygen concentration. The activation energy over the temperature range 560-650 C was 42.8 {plus minus} 4.3 kcal/mol. A pressure-corrected elementary reaction model for gas-phase combustion was applied to the oxidation of methane in supercritical water. Reaction path analysis identified several key reactions but the model underpredicted the methane conversion by a factor of 5 and predicted a first-order activation energy of 66 kcal/mol over the temperature range 560-650 C. Variation of the rate constants for a few important reactions within their uncertainty limits resulted in reasonable agreement with experimental data. A more detailed examination of elementary reactions in supercritical water is therefore warranted.

• OSTI ID: 5143565
• Journal Information: Energy and Fuels; (United States), Journal Name: Energy and Fuels; (United States) Vol. 5:3; ISSN 0887-0624; ISSN ENFUE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
030300* -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
ACTIVATION ENERGY
ALKANES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
DATA
DATA ANALYSIS
ENERGY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
KINETICS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
METHANE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADICALS
REACTION INTERMEDIATES
REACTION KINETICS
SUPERCRITICAL STATE
WATER