ADDITION OF PORE DIFFUSION LIMITATION TO THE “UCKRON-I” KINETIC RATE OF METHANOL SYNTHESIS

Abstract

Abstract Kinetic data with pore diffusion limitation on methanol synthesis were generated by extending the “UCKRON-I” kinetic rate expression. The best fit model and the extended “true” model were compared using their respective rates to simulate temperature profiles in a non-isothermal plug flow tubular reactor. The objective of this work was to add pore diffusion resistance to the UCKRON-1 kinetic rate for methanol synthesis (Berty, et al. 1983). Kinetic modeling of the data with 5% experimental error added, showed the best model to be that developed from a previous kinetic model (Shalabi, et al. 1983) with apparent activation energy approximately one-half the activation energy at no pore diffusion. Methods used in this work to determine and evaluate pore diffusion parameters can be utilized for other reaction systems where pore diffusion may play a role in reaction rate. Temperature profiles estimated from reactor simulation studies showed good argeement between ideal and predicted models for temperature.