Integrated reaction and separation for enhanced conversion and selectivity
In a novel reactor with periodic product separation, the regeneration of the sorbent/catalyst was accomplished by countercurrent blowdown and purge steps with a swing in the sorption conditions. The switching from sorption to reaction to regeneration was accomplished in a two bed sorption/reaction system. Models were developed for the mass and momentum transfer in the catalyst bed and the sorber/reactor and were solved by using orthogonal collocation within the method of lines.The effects of operating conditions and cycle configurations on performance are assessed. Data from dynamic experiments with propene metathesis to produce ethene and 2-butene in a fixed-bed catalytic reactor were in agreement with model predictions, demonstrating that conversion and product quality can be enhanced by periodic cycling reactors. Further, the separation of the products help reduce the downstream processing costs of the mixtures, enabling better utilisation of reactant through recycling and product handling for subsequent usage. Thus, the efficacy of the periodic separating reactor was demonstrated for propene metathesis. The results show enhanced conversion and product selectivity which will lead to lower costs and enhanced sustainability of process.