Mathematical modeling of a pilot-scale methanol synthesis reactor: Experimental validation*

Methanol is used extensively as a raw material for the production of chemicals such as formaldehyde, methyl tert-butyl ether, and acetic acid, and for electricity by direct oxidization with air to water and carbon dioxide in a direct methanol fuel cell. In this study, a process for the methanol synthesis using syngas was considered. After the effectiveness factor was determined for a pellet-type catalyst using experimental data in a bench-scale reactor, a mathematical model for a pilot-scale (10 ton per day) was developed by considering reactor dynamics. The validity of the model was corroborated by comparing with experimental data. Further analysis showed that the overall heat transfer coefficient, which is one of the important parameters for reactor design, is correlated with linear velocity in the catalytic bed, and the model could be used to determine the operating window for thermally safe and highly productive operation in the open-loop case.