Optimal Design of Synthesis Gas Production Process with Recycled Carbon Dioxide Utilization

Abstract

Many countries are trying to reduce their primary energy demand and greenhouse gas (such as carbon dioxide (CO2)) emissions. There has been much research on CO2 utilization to reduce CO2 emission and increase economic efficiency in industries. In this paper, an integrated optimization strategy of an industrial synthesis gas production plant with additional CO2 recycling processes using carbon dioxide as a reactant is presented. The CO2 recycling process allows three different kinds of alternative synthesis gas reaction processes in parallel: steam reforming, dry methane reforming, and reverse water−gas shift reaction. The strategy is based on the integrated superstructure optimization that assists the formulation of the optimal process design problem such that mixed integer programming can be derived. The mathematical programming problem which has flexibility in selecting different synthesis gas reaction processes is used to find the optimal configuration of the process. The industrial synthesis gas plan...