Methanol Production Process Research Articles

The effect of green hydrogen feed rate variations on e-methanol synthesis by dynamic simulation

Methanol is a promising fuel and important intermediate chemical in the transformation of renewable power to chemical products since it can be directly synthesized from captured CO2 and electrolytic H2. However, the intermittency of renewable power generation poses challenges to green methanol production process design and operation, necessitating high operational flexibility to facilitate coupling with intermittent renewable power.In this study, a green crude methanol (a mixture of methanol and water from methanol synthesis) production process was dynamically modeled. The results show that the minimum load of the model is 20%, with maximum allowable ramping rates of 3.25%/minute for ramp-down and 2.10%/minute for ramp-up between full and minimum load. The introduction of a standby mode, in which a make-up H2 stream is supplied when electrolytic H2 is unavailable, allows continuous operation of the process at the minimum load. With the constructed control structure, the model demonstrates that the process can effectively handle continuous variations of electrolytic H2 input.

Investigation of sustainable operation oriented- economic, process and environment based multi-criteria optimization of large scale methanol production plant

Methanol is one of the main raw materials and a building block for many essential chemicals in the industry, and it is widely produced from the synthesis gas. It is used as a fuel, solvent, inhibitor, antifreeze agent, and in producing a variety of chemicals including olefins and paraffin. The global demand for methanol is 70 million tons per year and it is estimated to grow by a factor of 6–8% per year so it is necessary to develop a methanol production process, which is economical, and environment friendly. The multi-objective optimization (MOO) approach is used to optimize the large scale Lurgi two-step methanol synthesis process using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) to find the Pareto front solutions involving the process, economic, and environmental-based objectives. Methanol production rate, total energy consumption, total annual CO2 emissions, and profit are considered as objectives. The five decision variables include syngas molar flow, reactor feed pressure, reactor 1 temperature, reactor 2 temperature, and by-product mass flow in the methanol distillation column. Two constraints are set on ethanol mole fraction in the methanol stream, and methanol mole flow in water to the treatment stream. Three optimization cases (two bi-objective and one tri-objective) are developed. In the Case 1 study, CO2 emissions decreased by 65.83%, the methanol production rate increased by 10.11%, and total energy was reduced by 57.55%. The Pareto ranking is carried out using the Preference Ranking On the Basis of Ideal-average Distance (PROBID) method and the best optimal solution is reported for all cases.

Exploring biomass addition in methanol production: A life cycle analysis of efficiency and environmental impacts

The coal-to-methanol process consumes non-renewable resources, causing significant negative environmental impacts. Introducing renewable biomass to replace or partially substitute coal is a highly feasible way to improve the process. This research not only delves into biomass utilization but also undertakes a comprehensive analysis of elemental and energy utilization efficiency, alongside a "cradle to gate" life cycle assessment for the methanol production process via coal and biomass co-gasification. CML and ReCiPe methods are applied to investigate the damages of the processes with different raw material compositions to source efficiency, environment, and human health, meanwhile exploring insights for process enhancement. Findings reveal that adding biomass positively influences, while, the amount of biomass added should be optimized to achieve the best performance. The energy efficiency and O utilization efficiency peak at 50% biomass ratio, whereas C and H utilization efficiency improve as the biomass content increases. Biomass addition notably mitigates the ecological, human health, and resource depletion impacts of the production process. Significantly, a biomass ratio of 30%-50% is recommended for the most substantial improvement in methanol production compared to the coal-only route. Within the lifecycle's various stages, biomass growth exerts the most substantial impact on the assessment indices, indicating the pivotal role of biomass as both a challenge and an opportunity in optimizing the environmental footprint of methanol production processes.

Material Planning with ABC Classification, Min-Max Method, and Continuous Review System Method at PT XYZ

PT XYZ is a petrochemical manufacturing company that produces industrial raw materials. This company has a stock of inventory materials in its warehouse. The background of this research is based on the company's need to optimize raw material inventory management to ensure the smooth running of the methanol production process and prevent overstock and stock of material. This study analyzed company SAP data, which showed a high average overstock level in CR1-B2-C01 storage during 2018-2022. Forty materials were overstocked, and 22 materials were out of stock. This shows the urgency to classify priority inventory materials, determine the research results in minimum and maximum quantities of materials, and determine reorder points. The research methods used include the ABC classification to classify inventory priorities, the Min-Max method to calculate the minimum and maximum amount of material, and the Continuous Review System method to determine reorder points and the amount of inventory to be provided. Data on purchases and usage of Parker O-Lube and O-Ring Parker materials in CR1-B2-C01 storage during 2018-2022 are used as a basis for planning material requirements. The research results found that by applying the ABC classification, the Min-Max method, and the Continuous Review System method, the company can optimize the management of CR1-B2-C01 raw materials. In investing in raw materials, companies can reduce the risk of unnecessary costs, minimize damage to goods, and prioritize the optimal use of storage space.

Simulation study of a novel methanol production process based on an off-grid Wind/Solar/Oxy-fuel power generation system

Power-to-methanol technology represents a promising energy storage solution to manage the fluctuating supply and demand of renewable energy effectively. A novel methanol production process based on an off-grid wind/solar/Oxy-fuel power plant is presented in the paper, which consists of solar-wind energy, oxy-fuel combined cycle, proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, and carbon dioxide hydrogenation to methanol unit. The hydrogen produced by the proton exchange membrane electrolyzer is used to synthesize methanol, and the by-product oxygen is used in the oxy-fuel combined cycle. At the same time, low-cost carbon capture is achieved with liquefied natural gas cold energy utilization, and the collected carbon dioxide is used to synthesize methanol. The system carbon emission is negative, about −0.344 kg carbon dioxide/kg methanol, the system has no other products except methanol. The structure of renewable energy has a significant impact on the technical and economic performance of the system. Therefore, a comparative analysis of different wind/photovoltaic installed capacity ratios is carried out. The case study shows that the proposed system has the best performance when the wind/photovoltaic installed capacity ratio is 25 %/75 %, with a renewable energy utilization of 97.62 %, methanol production cost of 1.34 $/kg methanol, and an energy efficiency of 63.5 %. The proposed system may be a practical solution for methanol production from renewable energy.

Methanol production from residual streams of natural gas sweetening for achieving the sustainable development goals

Greenhouse gas emissions, specifically CO2 and H2S, are recognized as a serious environmental issue. To address this, various strategies have been suggested. Among these, an economic-environmental study is presented, focusing on a methanol production process that utilizes CO2 and H2S waste streams from a natural gas sweetening plant. The study aims to identify conditions that enhance the production of value-added products and increase methanol yields while reducing costs. Given the complexity of processes involving numerous variables such as pressure, temperature, flow rates, and others, pinpointing the most impactful variables for effective manipulation poses a significant challenge. To tackle this, the study adopts a factorial experimental design coupled with ANOVA analysis to determine the variables that most significantly affect the process. Based on this analysis, the study suggests process improvement through energy integration. Results, derived from the experimental design and ANOVA analysis, reveal that reactor temperatures play a crucial role in influencing the process's effectiveness.

A Perspective on Solar-Driven Electrochemical Routes for Sustainable Methanol Production

The transition towards sustainable and renewable energy sources is imperative in mitigating the environmental impacts of escalating global energy consumption. Methanol, with its versatile applications and potential as a clean energy carrier, a precursor chemical, and a valuable commodity, emerges as a promising solution within the realm of renewable energy technologies. This work explores the integration of electrochemistry with solar power to drive efficient methanol production processes, focusing on electrochemical reduction (ECR) of CO2 and methane oxidation reaction (MOR) as pathways for methanol synthesis. Through detailed analysis and calculations, we evaluate the thermodynamic limits and realistic solar-to-fuel (STF) efficiencies of ECR and MOR. Our investigation encompasses the characterization of multijunction light absorbers, determination of thermoneutral potentials, and assessment of STF efficiencies under varying conditions. We identify the challenges and opportunities inherent in both ECR and MOR pathways, shedding light on catalyst stability, reaction kinetics, and system optimization, thereby providing insights into the prospects and challenges of solar-driven methanol synthesis, offering a pathway towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

Economic Appraisal and Enhanced Efficiency Optimization for Liquid Methanol Production Process

The presented study examines the economic viability and optimization of a previously designed integrated process for producing liquid methanol. The annualized cost of the system method is applied for economic analysis. The optimization method includes a robust hybrid approach that combines the NSGA-II multi-objective optimization algorithm with artificial intelligence. Decision variables for the optimization are taken from a sensitivity analysis to optimize the exergy and energy efficiencies and the investment return period. Decision-making methodologies, including LINMAP, fuzzy, and TOPSIS, are utilized to identify the optimal outcomes, effectively identifying points along the Pareto-optimal front. Compared with the original design, the research outcomes demonstrate an over 38% reduction in the process’s investment return period post optimization, as evaluated through the TOPSIS and LINMAP methodologies. Additionally, the highest level of thermal efficiency achieved through optimization stands at 79.9%, assessed using the LINMAP and TOPSIS methods, and 79.2% using the fuzzy Bellman–Zadeh method. The process optimization in the presented research, coupled with the improved economic feasibility, mitigates energy consumption through maximizing efficiency, thereby fostering sustainable and environmentally friendly development.

Techno-economic assessment of a novel integrated multigeneration system to synthesize e-methanol and green hydrogen in a carbon-neutral context

A novel and efficient multigeneration system aiming to achieve near-zero CO2 emissions is proposed. The system employs a methanol production process utilizing captured CO2 from the flue gas of a biomass-gasification plant. The proposed system successfully generates green H2 through water electrolysis, supported by thermal power, with a portion of the hydrogen reacting with CO2 to produce e-methanol. Additionally, the system produces other valuable products, including power, cooling, O2, and CO2, in a coherent manner, benefiting from a low-emission framework and exhibiting high thermodynamic performance. The proposed multigeneration system consists of a biomass-gasification-based power plant, a water electrolyzer, a methanol generation unit, a carbon capture unit, and a steam jet ejector-based refrigeration cycle. The integrated multigeneration system is analyzed from the energy, exergy, and economic aspects. The results demonstrate the system's ability to achieve production rates of 430.25 kg/h of e-methanol and 190 kg/h of green H2. Furthermore, the energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are found to be 78.13% and 71.63%, respectively. The CO2 emissions analysis reveals that the proposed system significantly reduced total CO2 emission to 78.5% (0.61 kgCO2/kg). The total cost of production is estimated to be 0.087 $/kg.

Methane fermentation to methanol (biological gas‐to‐liquid process) usingMethylotuvimicrobium buryatense5GB1C

AbstractMethanol is a potential alternate liquid transportation fuel for blending with gasoline. Biochemical conversion of methane to methanol is a green process for methanol production. This paper reports biochemical methanol production using type I γ‐proteobacteriaMethylotuvimicrobium buryatense, which has particular importance from the viewpoint of scalable biological gas to liquid processes for industrial application. A statistical design of experiments (at the serum bottle level) was used to optimize fermentation parameters. Enhancement in methanol accumulation was attempted using methanol dehydrogenase inhibitors. This was followed by a validation experiment run in a bioreactor at optimum conditions. At optimum conditions (pH = 7, phosphate concentration = 140 mM, temperature = 25°C) and optical density (600 nm) of 0.3, a methanol titer of 8.54 mM was achieved in 24 h (methane conversion = 20.8%). The addition of a methanol dehydrogenase inhibitor (0.5 mM Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) enhanced the methanol concentration to 10.37 mM. Experiments in a 3.7 L bioreactor using 1.68 bar headspace pressure and optical density (600 nm) of 0.1 yielded 23.7 mM methanol in 24 h (methane conversion = 47.8%). The methanol titers obtained usingM. buryatense5GB1C in 24 h fermentation are significantly higher than several previously reported methanotrophs. These results demonstrate the potential ofM. buryatense5GB1C for the biochemical synthesis of methanol.

Decarbonization of methanol production - Techno-economic analysis of Power-to-Fuel process in a Hydrogen Valley

The European Union set the decarbonization goals and green hydrogen can play a crucial role for the greenhouse gas emission reduction. Hydrogen Valleys can be pivotal for the hydrogen economy, by integrating the local green hydrogen (H2) production into the industrial sector. Thus, by means of the Power-to-Fuel approach H2 can be exploited for the synthetic fuel. This study aims at investigating the synthetic methanol (CH3OH) production process with recycled carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen in a Hydrogen Valley. Currently, industrial-scale methanol is produced from natural gas, where methane (CH4) reacts with H2O at high temperature and pressure. The green hydrogen can improve the long-term sustainability of this process, making the green methanol exploitable in the hard-to-abate sectors. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to evaluate a techno-economic analysis of various scenarios for the synthetic methanol production process in the Hydrogen Valley. This analysis has been carried out for different time periods: 2020, 2030, and 2050. The outcomes show that the current Levelized Cost of Methanol production ranges between 158.41 €/MWh and 227.69 €/MWh. In the long term, those values decrease to a range of 72.01 €/MWh to 97.05 €/MWh. The most suitable RES capacity scenarios have been derived along with the associated global investment costs. The best scenario in the short and medium term envisages 1 MW of on-shore wind plants and 1.5 MW of photovoltaic plants with a total investment cost of 4.10 M€ by 2020. In the long term, the best scenario foresees 2 MW of photovoltaic and 0.5 MW of on-shore wind. In so doing the 2050 investment cost is reduced to 1.62 M€.

Preliminary study of the methanol production process from coal to support the coal downstream program

Coal downstreaming is a government program to create a comparative and competitive advantage of coal and its various derivative products. Coal derivative products are expected to be economically competitive with oil and natural gas. One of the coal downstream programs is the production of methanol from coal through the gasification process. The development of the methanol industry will support the government’s program of the transfer from fuel-based oil to biodiesel and will reduce dependence on imports. All types of coal in this study can be used as raw material for the methanol production. The coal with high mositure content ((>40%), prior to the gasification process, a dewatering process is required. The dewatering process chosen is the steam tube drying process, the gasification process with a fixed bed gasifier type, the Davy or Johnson Matthey low pressure methanol synthesis technology and the copper – zinc oxide with aluminum oxide or chromium oxide (Cu – ZnO – Al2O3/Cu – ZnO – Cr2O3) catalyst type.

Synergies between Carnot battery and power-to-methanol for hybrid energy storage and multi-energy generation

Power-to-methanol (PtMe) technologies and Carnot batteries are two promising approaches for large-scale energy storage. However, the current low efficiency and inadequate profitability of these two technologies, especially concerning green methanol production, pose challenges for their industrial implementation. One solution is to integrate these two technologies to augment the material and energy utilization efficiency through dynamic operational coordination and multi-energy production. This study systematically investigates the synergies of integrating CO2 energy storage (CES) and PtMe for combined heating, power, and methanol generation, aiming to enhance system's efficiency and economic viability. In this context, a novel hybrid energy-driven polygeneration system (CES-PtMe) is developed, featuring a highly integrated methanol production process and a newly proposed CES configuration with heating input and output capabilities. Detailed system simulations assess its performance under steady state, while nonlinear programming models are formulated for optimal storage sizing and energy scheduling considering fluctuating renewable energy. Various scenarios are set to examine the techno-economic potential of the CES-PtMe system, using renewable data from Gansu, China as a case study. The results indicate that the system can achieve a high efficiency of nearly 80% with a renewable penetration exceeding 77%. By incorporating optimal energy scheduling throughout the year, the system shows economic viability in the context of the current fossil energy market. While it has a limited ability to meet user energy demands, the proposed system retains economic benefits compared to standalone technologies.

Conventional vs. alternative biogas utilizations: An LCA-AHP based comparative study

This study compares the performance and the environmental impacts of three biogas utilization processes: combined heat and power cycle, dimethyl ether production, and methanol production. The processes are evaluated based on key performance indicators and life cycle assessments. Results show that molar methane conversion in the reforming unit is 93% for both dimethyl-ether (DME) and methanol processes. Methanol reactor reports a per-pass hydrogen conversion of 21%. DME production achieves an 89% conversion rate. The chemical pathways exhibit a 33% molar conversion of COx, contributing to the conversion of CO2 into advanced chemicals. The environmental footprint is evaluated through a life cycle assessment. Biogas cogeneration has the lowest global warming potential since DME and methanol production processes are influenced by steam production and electricity intake from the national grid, which relies on fossil fuels. An analytic hierarchy process is employed to assess the overall performance of the processes. DME production performs best with a score of 39%, followed by cogeneration with 31%, and methanol production with 30%. Different case studies are examined by modifying the weight criteria for each impact category. The findings provide that cogeneration and DME technologies perform better in all the iterations.

Utilising CO2 from manganese plant flue gas for methanol production: System design and optimisation

A potential measure to mitigate climate change and high energy consumption is the conversion of the abundant carbon dioxide (CO2) in industrial flue gas into value-added products. Herein, combined with the 300,000 tonnes of electrolytic manganese metal technical renovation project of Tianyuan Manganese Industry in Ningxia, the methanol production performed using 10,000 tonnes of CO2 annually is simulated. The hydrogen produced by alkaline hydro-electrolysis through solar and wind power generation is mixed with the CO2 purified in the manganese dioxide roasting workshop of the self-made manganese plant and fed into the methanol reactor with a Cu/Zn/Al/Zr catalyst. The methanol thus obtained is sold after separation and purification. The water at the bottom of the rectifying column is mixed with fresh water and circulated in the water electrolytic unit for hydrogen production. The design of the supporting photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems is simulated using TRNSYS18 software. Results show that the optimal reaction temperature, pressure and space velocity for methanol preparation using this system are 501 K, 50 bar and 5.9 m3/kgcat h, respectively. Simulation results indicate that the proposed methanol production process boasts a higher energy efficiency and process yield than the conventional process. Consequently, potential annual profits would increase by USD6.71 × 107 along with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. This study thus provides a novel approach for cogeneration of green methanol while reducing industrial waste gas emission.

Low-carbon methanol production using solar thermal energy: A techno-economic assessment

This work presents a techno-economic and greenhouse gas emissions assessment of a proposed low-carbon methanol production process. The process takes a novel low-carbon methanol production method and reduces its emissions further by integrating a solar thermal energy (STE) system to provide for its electricity requirements. The authors investigate three different scenarios for the STE system, analysing the effects of solar irradiance design point, and the impact of thermal energy storage on system performance. Case-1 (15.57 MW) was designed for daytime operation and sized for the maximum annual solar irradiance, with Case-2 (24.91 MW) incorporating thermal energy storage to enable 24-hour operation. Case-3 (48.66 MW) also utilised thermal energy storage to enable 24-hour operation, but was sized for the minimum annual solar irradiance. The methanol process and the STE system were modelled in Aspen Plus and Aspen HYSYS, with the simulation data being used with mass and energy balances to conduct a techno-economic and greenhouse gas emissions assessment. The standalone methanol plant was estimated to emit 0.37 t CO2/t CH3OH, with the integration of the STE system reducing this to 0.29 (Case-1), 0.23 (Case-2), and 0.10 (Case-3), resulting in one of the lowest emitting traditional methanol production methods available. The cost of abatement of these remaining emissions through carbon capture and storage was also considered. The economic analysis found that the integrated processes in Case-1 and 2 were financially viable, resulting in a net present value of $247 million and $72 million respectively. The net present value was reduced to $185 and $21 million when considering the cost of carbon capture and storage. Conversely, the net present value for Case-3 was negative, requiring an increase in the price of methanol to ∼$600/t, and a reduction in the cost of capital to ∼8%, to become financially viable.

Process for methanol production

Process for methanol production

Analysis of the effect of water on methanol combustion under engine-related conditions based on a newly developed reduced mechanism

Methanol is widely regarded as an ideal alternative fuel due to its direct synthesis from carbon dioxide, ease of transportation, and excellent combustion characteristics. Due to the costly dehydration step in the methanol production process, the direct use of aqueous methanol is a good option. In this study, a reduced NT-M model with 62 species and 222 reactions for methanol/diesel blends using a decoupling methodology was developed. The validated NT-M model improves the prediction accuracy of laminar flame speeds for methanol at fuel-rich conditions compared to other mechanisms. In addition, the effect of water addition on methanol combustion was analyzed. The result shows that increasing the water content of methanol leads to an increase in IDT and a decrease in LFS. The extent of the chemical effect of water on methanol combustion is influenced by the equivalence ratio. The chemical effect of water at low equivalence ratios is almost negligible. The reaction CH3OH + HO2CH2OH + H2O2 has the most significant effect on IDT. Interestingly, the addition of water inhibits the forward progress of this reaction, leading to an increase in IDT. Moreover, the chemical effect of water leads to an increase in LFS.

A novel process for the simultaneous production of methanol, oxygen, and electricity using a PEM electrolyzer and agricultural-based landfill gas-fed oxyfuel combustion power plant

This paper presents a novel process for the simultaneous production of methanol, oxygen, and electricity through oxyfuel-combustion of landfill gas (LFG) produced from the agricultural residues and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. Among the most important advantages of the proposed process, one can mention high thermodynamic efficiency and negative CO2 emission. The proposed process includes a PEM electrolyzer, oxyfuel combustion power plant (OFCPP), and methanol synthesis unit (MSU). According to the analyses, this process has energy and exergy efficiency of 75.58% and 86.1%, respectively. In addition, based on the conducted analyses, the total exergy destruction of the process equals 54.21 MW, in which the OFCPP unit with a 76% share has the highest exergy destruction and lowest exergy efficiency. In addition, it is demonstrated that the proposed process converts liquefied natural gas to natural gas. Using oxygen for LFG combustion reduces energy consumption in gas compressors and raises energy efficiency. According to the environmental analysis, it is deduced that the CO2 emission of this process is negative and equals −0.97 kgCO2/kgMeOH, to which the contribution of indirect emission is zero. In addition, economic analysis illustrated that the total annual cost of the process and total methanol cost are 21.6 M$ and 0.62 $/ kgMeOH respectively.

Process simulation and multi-aspect analysis of methanol production through blast furnace gas and landfill gas

This paper presents a novel process for methanol production from blast furnace gas (BFG) and landfill gas (LFG). The process is evaluated using the energy, exergy, economic, and environmental (4E) analyses. The process consists of a power plant fueled by LFG, carbon dioxide (CO2) chemisorption using 30% (wt.) solution of monoethanolamine, methanol synthesis and separation, and power and steam plants. Thermodynamic analysis shows that the total energy and exergy efficiencies for the proposed process are 59% and 63.2%, respectively. The carbon efficiency for this method is 42%. Environmental analysis shows that the total CO2 emission is 2614.85 kg/h. Based on the simulation results, this process produces 18,200 kg/h methanol, which results in a CO2 emission intensity of 0.144 kg CO2/kg MeOH. Economic evaluation determines that the proposed scheme has a capital cost of $100, 315, 128.9 with a payback period of 1.94 years. In addition, methanol production's annual profit is $4,798,088.309, and the minimum selling price of the produced methanol is $0.388/kg. The proposed process is a promising alternative for methanol production from BFG and LFG. It has high energy and exergy efficiencies, low CO2 emission intensity, and a short payback period. The economic analysis shows that the process is profitable.