Abstract
AbstractCurrent projects focusing on the energy transition in traffic will rely on a high‐level technology mix for their commissioning. One of those technologies is the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis (FTS) that converts synthesis gas into hydrocarbons of different chain lengths. A microstructured packed‐bed reactor for low‐temperature FTS is tested towards its versatility for biomass‐based syngas with a high inert gas dilution. Investigations include overall productivity, conversion, and product selectivity. A 60‐times larger pilot‐scale reactor is further tested. Evaporation cooling is introduced which allows to increase the available energy extraction from the system. From that scale on, an autothermal operation at elevated conversion levels is applicable.
Highlights
The heterogeneously catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was discovered over 90 years ago [1] to produce synthetic fuels out of syngas, CO, and H2
Cobalt is the preferred catalyst for low-temperature FTS (LTFT) if saturated compounds are targeted
It shows high selectivity towards linear alkanes, a high activity at low temperature as well as a negligible water-gas shift (WGS) activity compared to iron catalysts [3, 41, 42]
Summary
The heterogeneously catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) was discovered over 90 years ago [1] to produce synthetic fuels out of syngas, CO, and H2. Already existing or soon to be commissioned BtL pilot-plant projects in Europe producing advanced biofuels include BioDME (DME synthesis, Chemrec, Sweden), Bioliq (methanol, DME, gasoline, KIT, Germany), Gussing FT (renewable diesel on gasifier side stream, Vienna University of Technology/BIOENERGY 2020+, Austria), and BioTfueL (biokerosene, a French industrial consortium, France) Another BtL application can be found in Canada (ethanol/methanol, Enerkem) [14]. There are a number of volatile variables that make investments in large plants risky: the final product price which strongly depends on the political framework and available supply chain, the feedstock capacity, and the current metal price and all costs concerning the feed gas supply [15] Reducing this complexity, intensifying the process by new technologies and markets rather than increasing centralized plant sizes can be a promising strategy [3, 16, 17]. Similar process conditions are tested for both reactor scales to evaluate possible effects from feed gas dilution in order to simulate syngas from BtL applications
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