Abstract
An optimal design strategy of a network of fixed bed reactors for Methanol Production (MP) is proposed in this study. Both methanol production and profit spanning a production period of eight years have been set as objective functions to find the optimal production network. The conservation of mass and energy laws on a heterogeneous model of a single industrial methanol reactor was first developed. The model was solved numerically and was validated with industrial plant data. Different reactor network arrangements were then simulated in order to find an optimal superstructure. It was found that a structure of four reactors (two in series in parallel with another two in series) provide maximum production rate. The application of the more realistic objective function of profit showed that a configuration of two parallel reactors is the best configuration. This optimal structure produces 92 tons/day more methanol than a single reactor.
Highlights
Methanol was produced entirely from destructive distillation of wood, the common name wood alcohol
A review of modeling of methanol reactors can be found in Zahedi et al [8,9], where we have studied various optimization aspects and the optimal control of methanol reactors
At the first step of optimization, the methanol production has been set as the objective function
Summary
Methanol was produced entirely from destructive distillation of wood, the common name wood alcohol. This production method was used exclusively from the middle of the. After a twenty year break, the method is making a return This method is slightly flawed since it requires lots of energy input and the process produces several organic by-products other than methanol; mainly ethyl ether and ethanol. Methanol is used as a solvent in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals including vitamins and cholesterol. It is used as a solvent to extract natural oils from animals and plants. It has further uses in the technological world in the form of antifreezes, as well as a fuel source in blowtorches, barbecues and ovens [2,3]
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