Simulation of a Fluidized-Bed Reactor for Dimethyl Ether Synthesis

Dimethyl ether (DME) has received increasing interest as a potential substitute for diesel and liquefied petroleum gas. The production of DME from syngas is exothermic in nature overall, and has a narrow operational window in fixed-bed reactors. Consequently, fluidized-bed reactors, which have high heat and mass transfer efficiencies, are major current areas of investigation for DME production from syngas. In the present paper, the comprehensive reactor model proposed by Mahecha-Botero et al. [1] has been modified and employed to simulate DME synthesis in a fluidized-bed reactor. The modified model has been employed under various operating conditions to maximize CO conversion (XCO), DME productivity and DME selectivity with respect to methanol.

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