Utilizing DE optimization approach to boost hydrogen and octane number in a novel radial-flow assisted membrane naphtha reactor

Abstract Hydrogen is a valuable raw material for chemical and petrochemical industry. In this regard, the operating conditions of a radial-flow tubular membrane reactor (RF-TMR) are optimized via Differential Evolution (DE) method to boost the hydrogen and aromatic yields in catalytic naphtha reforming process. In this novel configuration, the radial-flow pattern of the naphtha feed and the sweeping gas is considered in the tube and the shell sides to solve the pressure drop problem. Furthermore, the cross-section area of the tubular reactor is divided into some subsections and the gaps' wall between subsections are coated by the Pd–Ag membrane layer. The steady state and dynamic optimizations are carried out and twenty-nine decision variables such as operating pressure, membrane thickness, sweeping gas distribution and the ratio of length to diameter (LOD) are considered during the optimization process. The optimization results show 27 and 8.3 kmol h −1 increase in the hydrogen and aromatic yields in optimized RF-TMR compared with conventional tubular reactor (CTR). Moreover, the new configuration is capable to be used in the radial-flow moving bed reactors, which are widely installed in refineries.

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