Maximizing Liquid Fuel Production from Reformed Biogas by Kinetic Studies and Optimization of Fischer–Tropsch Reactions

Abstract

In the current work, the operating conditions for the Fischer–Tropsch process were optimized using experimental testing, kinetic modelling, simulation, and optimization. The experiments were carried out using a Ce-Co/SiO2 catalyst to examine how operating parameters affected the conversion of CO and product selectivity. A power-law kinetic model was used to represent the reaction rates in a mathematical model that was created to replicate the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS). It was decided to estimate the kinetic parameters using a genetic optimization technique. The developed model was validated for a range of operating conditions, including a temperature range of 200–240 °C, a pressure range of 5–25 bar, a H2/CO ratio of 0.5–4, and a space velocity range of 1000–5000 mL/gcat·h. The mean absolute relative error (MARE) between the experimental and predicted results was found to be 11.7%, indicating good agreement between the experimental data and the predicted results obtained by the mathematical model. Optimization was applied to maximize the production of liquid biofuels (C5+). The maximum C5+ selectivity was 91.66, achieved at an operating temperature of 200 °C, reactor total pressure of 6.29 bar, space velocity of 1529.58 mL/gcat·h, and a H2/CO feed ratio of 3.96. The practical implications of the present study are maximizing liquid biofuel production from biomass and municipal solid waste (MSW) as a renewable energy source to meet energy requirements, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management.

Keywords

• biogas
• liquid biofuel
• Fischer-Tropsch synthesis
• kinetic modelling