Simulation And Operating Conditions Optimization Of Radical Reactor For Dimethyl Oxalate Hydrogenation To Ethylene Glycol

The hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate(DMO)to methyl glycollate(MG)and ethylene glycol(EG)is indirect synthesis of glycol from syngas,which is a mature carbon-monochemical route with broad prospects.In this paper,a kinetic model was established which was based on the experimental data and reaction mechanism.One-dimensional quasi-homogeneous models of radial fixed bed reactor and axial fixed bed reactor were established.By analysising the mechanism of hydrogenation reaction,a kinetic model which conforms to Hougen-Watson mechanism was established.The parameters of the kinetic model were estimated by the maximum inheritance method.DMO and MG were selected as the key components.The mathematical models of one-dimensional quasi-homogeneous adiabatic radial fixed bed reactor and one-dimensional quasi-homogeneous heat exchange axial fixed bed reactor were established.Runge-Kutta method was used to solve the mathematical model of radial fixed bed,and the effect of process conditions in the first hydrogenation reactor on the reaction was also investigated.The results showed that feed gas inlet temperature,flow rate,ratio of H2/DMO,operating pressure and height of catalytic bed all had effects on the reaction results,and better process operation conditions were obtained after optimization.Setting operation parameters same as those of radical reactor,the mathematical model of axial fixed bed reactor was solved.The results were compared with those of radial bed reactor,and it was found that radial bed reactor had obvious advantages.