An intensification of the CO2 methanation reaction: Effect of carbon nanofiber network on the hydrodynamic, thermal and catalytic properties of reactors filled with open cell foams. (23rd February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frey, Myriam; Romero, Thierry; Roger, Anne-Cécile; Edouard, David
• Is Part Of: Chemical engineering science. Volume 195(2019)
• Page Start: 271
• Page End: 280
• Publication Date: 2019-02-23
• Subjects: Residence time distribution -- Platelet milli-reactors -- Open cell foam -- Carbon nanofibers -- CO2 methanation -- Thermal-infrared imaging; Chemical engineering -- Periodicals; Génie chimique -- Périodiques; Chemical engineering; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 660
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2018.11.028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-2509

Abstract

Highlights: CNF covered a SiC foam have no major effect on the reactor's global hydrodynamics. The thermal study with IR thermography directly shows the "ignition" of the reaction. The presence of CNF increased the SiC foam performance in terms of heat evacuation. The methanation reaction was intensified by enhanced heat evacuation. Abstract: The carbon dioxide methanation reaction is highly exothermal (Δr H 0 298K = −165 kJ mol −1 ) and needs therefore an efficient process to evacuate the heat generated during the reaction. In this paper, a structured bed filled with an open cell foam was chosen due to the many advantages of this kind of reactor (high surface/volume ratio, low pressure drop, intensification of mass and heat transfer…). First we showed that the presence carbon nanofibers didn't have an influence on the hydrodynamic behaviour of the platelet milli-reactor. Then, we used in situ infrared thermography to measure the surface temperature of the catalytic foam during the methanation reaction. The thermal imaging allowed us to visualize the "ignition" of the reaction, as well as to show the presence or absence of hot spots and their temperature. In this paper, we directly show for the first time the positive effect of carbon nanofibers on the surface temperature of the catalytic foam.