Simulation Study of Ceramic Fibrous Structured Catalysts for CO2 Methanation—Enhancement of the Performance and Comparison to Pellet Catalysts

Abstract

Fibrous catalysts have shown to enhance mass and heat transfer for fast and exothermic reactions. However, these catalysts can be limited by the pressure drop and achievable productivity, due to the flow rates that can be processed and the catalyst content in the reactor. This paper studies the effect of the geometry of fibrous catalysts on reactor performance by applying them to the reaction of CO2 methanation. A fixed-bed reactor model was used to simulate and study variations in fiber diameter and catalyst coating thickness, and their influence on pressure drop, productivity and reactor efficiency. A comparison basis to traditional pellet catalysts with different reactor configurations is established. Fibrous catalysts show superior reaction heat removal and temperature management, higher catalyst utilization, and smaller catalyst fractions to achieve the intended conversions. Smaller, more compact reactors can be designed thanks to their higher global efficiency. The results show the advantages and versatility of structured ceramic fibrous catalysts, as alternatives for process intensification, and to improve overall reactor performance.