Optimization of an ion transport membrane reactor system for syngas production

Abstract

Ion transport membrane (ITM) reactor has been regarded as a promising novel technology for syngas production. To commercialize this technology, overall system designs and operating conditions should be optimized.In this study, a mathematical analysis of the ITM reactor system has been performed using Aspen Plus® to optimize its operations. Two-dimensional ITM reactor model developed in our previous study has been integrated into a system model to capture the system performance. The effects of air flow rates and gas inlet temperatures, which are the dominant factors determining both the ITM reactor performance and the system power consumption, have been investigated. To optimize the ITM reactor system, overall system power consumptions have been analyzed under various operating conditions. An optimal operation map has been presented that minimizes the power consumption and maximizes the syngas production. Simulation results show that dominant factors affecting oxygen permeability change according to the oxygen partial pressure gradient. When the local oxygen partial pressure gradients exceed 2, temperature is the most dominant factor. However, for local oxygen partial pressure gradients lower than 2, the oxygen partial pressure gradient is in turn the dominant factor. This study specifically provides the basic insight to establish the operating point and to grasp the effect of the internal oxygen partial pressure for commercialization of this technology.