Optimization Of Operating Conditions For Methanol Synthesis Catalyst KATALCO51-9

Methanol is an important organic chemical material and also is a fine organic solvent and liquid fuel. In recent years, with the growing shortage of oil resources and rising sharply in the price of oil, the demand for methanol is increasing quickly. The capacity has an intense competition in China’s methanol industry and a dramatic impact because of the import of methanol. Therefore, how to improve the methanol synthesis catalysts performance and reduce the cost of methanol production is an important task for methanol production enterprises and also has a key significance for enhancing their own economic benefits. In this paper, the experimental tests were carried out in a methanol synthesis plant wit a capacity of2.500tons methanol per day designed by Davy Process Technology limited company to investigate the regularity impact of operating conditions on feed-gas conversion, space-time yield and methanol selectivity. The results can provide operational reference for methanol production enterprises, so as to realize energy saving, reduce production costs and improve economic efficiency.The results show that there exists an optimum temperature around222℃for methanol synthesis, the temperature too high or too low can not only greatly reduce the feed-gas conversion and the space-time yield, but also reduce the methanol selectivity; When the pressure increases, the feed-gas conversion and the space-time yield would increase while the methanol selectivity would decreases; Increasing the feed-gas flow properly will improve the methanol selectivity and increase the methanol space-time yield, but the excessive feed-gas flow will not only decrease methanol selectively, but also increase pressure drop through the catalyst beds and the energy consumption of the compressor. The appropriate composition of feed-gas {(H2-CO2)/(CO+CO2)} is2.5for methnol synthesis. In the changing range of process parameters selected, the sensitivity analysis of technological conditions to the reaction indicated that the marked effect order on the methanol space-time yield is temperature, hydrogen carbon ratio, pressure, feed-gas flow. The optimum process condition for the methanol synthesis catalyst KATALCO51-9is temperature of222℃, pressure of7.8MPa(g), hydrogen carbon ratio is2.5and feed-gas flow of321850Nm3/h.