Analysis on Thermal Effects of Process Channel Geometry for Microchannel Fischer-Tropsch Reactor Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

In this study, FT reaction in a microchannel was simulated using computational fluid dynamics(CFD), and sensitivity analyses conducted to see effects of channel geometry variables, namely, process channel width, height, gap between process channel and cooling channel, and gap between process channels on the channel temperature profile. Microchannel reactor considered in the study is composed of five reaction channels with height and width ranging from 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. Cooling surfaces is assumed to be in isothermal condition to account for the heat exchange between the surface and process channels. A gas mixture of H2 and CO(H2/CO molar ratio = 2) is used as a reactant and oper- ating conditions are the following: GHSV(gas hourly space velocity) = 10000 h -1 , pressure = 20 bar, and temperature = 483 K. From the simulation study, it was confirmed that heat removal in an FT microchannel reactor is affected channel geometry variables. Of the channel geometry variables considered, channel height and width have significant effect on the channel temperature profile. However, gap between cooling surface and process channel, and gap between process channels have little effect. Maximum temperature in the reaction channel was found to be proportional to channel height, and not affected by the width over a particular channel width size. Therefore, microchannels with smaller channel height(about less than 2 mm) and bigger channel width (about more than 4 mm), can be attractive design for better heat removal and higher production.