Numerical investigation of oxygen permeation and methane oxy-combustion in a stagnation flow ion transport membrane reactor

In this work, a two-step oxy-combustion reaction kinetics model for methane-oxygen combustion is used to predict the oxy-combustion characteristics in the permeate side of the membrane. More accurate permeation rate characteristics inside this simple symmetric design ITM reactor is also expected using this model. New oxygen permeation model is introduced in this work for an LSCF-1991 ion transport membrane. The simulation of the oxygen permeation process across the membrane has been performed through series of visual C++ user defined function compiled and incorporated to FLUENT. The analysis of the permeation process has been conducted for separation only process (no reactions) using an inert gas (argon) as a sweep gas and a comparison has been done with cases of using CH4 plus CO2 as sweep gases. The effect of reactivity using the same sweep gases (CH4 plus CO2) is investigated by comparing the same cases with and without reactions in the permeate side. It was found that there are important parameters affecting the operation of ITM reactors like the inlet gases temperature, percentage of CH4 in the sweep gases mixture and the reactor geometry. Also, there are less important parameters like, feed and sweep volume flow rates, oxygen partial pressure in the feed side.

[1]  Abass A. Olajire,et al.  CO2 capture and separation technologies for end-of-pipe applications – A review , 2010 .

[2]  Maurizio Cumo,et al.  Energia, cambiamenti climatici e sequestro dell'anidride carbonica , 2003 .

[3]  Peter Glarborg,et al.  Chemical Effects of a High CO2 Concentration in Oxy-Fuel Combustion of Methane , 2008 .

[4]  K. Sasaki,et al.  Surface effect on oxygen permeation through dense membrane of mixed-conductive LSCF perovskite-type oxide , 2006 .

[5]  Alexander Mitsos,et al.  Ion transport membrane reactors for oxy-combustionPart II: Analysis and comparison of alternatives , 2011 .

[6]  P. Glarborg,et al.  Global Combustion Mechanisms for Use in CFD Modeling under Oxy-Fuel Conditions , 2009 .

[7]  William J. Thomson,et al.  Oxygen permeation rates through ion-conducting perovskite membranes , 1999 .

[8]  Alexander Mitsos,et al.  Ion transport membrane reactors for oxy-combustion – Part I: intermediate-fidelity modeling , 2011 .

[9]  B. Hjertager,et al.  On mathematical modeling of turbulent combustion with special emphasis on soot formation and combustion , 1977 .

[10]  Jerry Y. S. Lin,et al.  Oxygen permeation through oxygen ionic or mixed-conducting ceramic membranes with chemical reactions , 2004 .

[11]  W. R. Moser,et al.  Dense Perovskite, La1‐xA′xFe1‐yCoyO3‐δ (A′= Ba, Sr, Ca), Membrane Synthesis, Applications, and Characterization , 2005 .

[12]  William J. Weber,et al.  Electrochemical properties of mixed conducting perovskites La{sub 1{minus}x}M{sub x}Co{sub 1{minus}y}Fe{sub y}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}} (M = Sr, Ba, Ca) , 1996 .

[13]  Mohammad Reza Rahimpour,et al.  A novel water perm-selective membrane dual-type reactor concept for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis of GTL (gas to liquid) technology , 2011 .

[14]  Y. S. Lin,et al.  Oxidative coupling of methane in dense ceramic membrane reactor with high yields , 2002 .

[15]  Weeratunge Malalasekera,et al.  An introduction to computational fluid dynamics - the finite volume method , 2007 .

[16]  G. D. Raithby,et al.  A Finite-Volume Method for Predicting a Radiant Heat Transfer in Enclosures With Participating Media , 1990 .

[17]  Mario Amelio,et al.  Integrated gasification gas combined cycle plant with membrane reactors: Technological and economical analysis , 2007 .

[18]  W. Thomson,et al.  Stability of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ perovskite membranes in reducing and nonreducing environments , 1998 .

[19]  H. A. Becker,et al.  A comparative study of radiative heat transfer modelling in gas-fired furnaces using the simple grey gas and the weighted-sum-of-grey-gases models , 1998 .

[20]  D. Wilcox.  Turbulence modeling for CFD , 1993 .

[21]  Y. S. Lin,et al.  Selective oxidation of ethane to ethylene in a dense tubular membrane reactor , 2002 .

[22]  W. Jin,et al.  YSZ‐SrCo0.4Fe0.6O3‐δ membranes for the partial oxidation of methane to syngas , 2002 .

[23]  K. Salama,et al.  Effect of microstructure on oxygen permeation in SrCo0.8Fe0.2O3−δ , 1999 .

[24]  W. Jin,et al.  Synthesis and oxygen permeation properties of La0.2Sr0.8Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ membranes , 1999 .

[25]  Igor Bulatov,et al.  Integrating waste and renewable energy to reduce the carbon footprint of locally integrated energy sectors , 2008 .

[26]  André Faaij,et al.  Techno-economic prospects of small-scale membrane reactors in a future hydrogen-fuelled transportation sector , 2006 .

[27]  Henricus J.M. Bouwmeester,et al.  Influence of order-disorder transitions on oxygen permeability through selected nonstoichiometric perovskite-type oxides , 1993 .

[28]  Noboru Yamazoe,et al.  OXYGEN PERMEATION THROUGH PEROVSKITE-TYPE OXIDES , 1985 .

[29]  C. Westbrook,et al.  Simplified Reaction Mechanisms for the Oxidation of Hydrocarbon Fuels in Flames , 1981 .

[30]  F. Tietz,et al.  Evaluation of La–Sr–Co–Fe–O perovskites for solid oxide fuel cells and gas separation membranes , 2000 .

[31]  A. Saario,et al.  Comparison of Global Ammonia Chemistry Mechanisms in Biomass Combustion and Selective Noncatalytic Reduction Process Conditions , 2008 .

[32]  H. Verweij,et al.  Oxidative coupling of methane in a mixed-conducting perovskite membrane reactor , 1995 .

[33]  William J. Weber,et al.  Electrochemical Properties of Mixed Conducting Perovskites La1 − x M x Co1 − y Fe y O 3 − δ (M = Sr, Ba, Ca) , 1996 .

[34]  Rached Ben-Mansour,et al.  Characteristics of Oxy-fuel Combustion in an Oxygen Transport Reactor , 2012 .

[35]  A. Jacobson,et al.  Oxygen permeation studies of SrCo0.8Fe0.2O3 − δ , 1995 .