Gas to Liquid Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis is an acknowledged catalytic route for production of clean fuels and chemicals from synthesis gas (a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) obtained from natural/shale gas (and also from coal, biomass, and biogas). FT conversions are associated with high exothermic heat for which an efficient mean of heat removal is needed. Therefore, slurry bubble column and shell and tubes trickle bed reactors configuration have been used for efficient heat removal, fast mass transfer, high conversion and high volumetric productivity. Due to complex interrelations among the many parameters that determine the behavior of these reactors, their scale-up, design, and operation are challenging tasks and are not well understood. In addition, the complexity increases with the presence of intense cooling internals that affect the hydrodynamics, mixing, transports (mass and heat) and performance of slurry bubble columns. Successful commercialization of these reactors and needs thorough understanding of prevailing hydrodynamics of phases. In our laboratory, gamma radiation based techniques for imaging and visualization (Radioactive particle tracking (RPT), Dual source computed tomography (DSCT), and Gamma-ray densitometry (GRD), that are complemented by many sophisticated non-radisotopes (Optical fiber probes, hot wire aneometry, heat transfer probes, and optical probe for mass transfer measurements) based techniques have been developed and implemented to advance the engineering knowledge and science of these reactors. These advances and findings will be outlined in this presentation.

Gas Conversion to clean liquid fuels and chemicals: Overview of recent advances and the challenges of catalytic Fischer-Tropsch multiphase reactors using sophisticated measurement and computing techniques

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.