On the temperature control in a microstructured packed bed reactor for methanation of CO/CO2 mixtures

Microreactor technology is widely used for process intensification and is essential for fast and strongly exothermic reactions exhibiting mass and heat transfer limitations. In the scope of the MINERVE Power-to-Gas project, sponsored by KIC InnoEnergy from 2012 to 2015, a micro packed bed reactor was developed for conversion of syngas containing CO2 into methane. This work focuses on heat removal and temperature control in a manufactured device using syngas throughputs less than 1.4 Nm(3)/h (10% CO, 7% CO2, H-2/C=4) while examining the cooling potential of different cooling fluids, e.g., air, steam and water. (c) 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 120-129, 2017