Flow Synthesis Reactor
The flow synthesis reactor unit can be installed both at large-scale plants (750 ktpa, 450 ktpa) and smaller ones.
Creation of a new methanol flow synthesis reactor unit (FSR) constitutes the basic engineering solution that forms the basis for methanol plant capacity increase in combination with the existing methanol synthesis section reactors.
The flow synthesis reactor unit complete with a steam generation system presents an integrated system intended to carry out methanol synthesis in a tubular reactor while using the reaction heat for generation of steam recovered from boiler water boiling in reactor shell side in remote steam collector.
The flow synthesis reactor unit includes the following main equipment:
• methanol synthesis tubular type reactor;
• steam collector;
• risers/downcomers connecting shell side of tubular reactor with steam collector;
• start-up ejector.
The synthesis reactor tubes are filled with copper-bearing catalyst under which the process of methanol synthesis takes place under pressure of 7,0-7,5 MPa (71,4÷ 76,5 kgf/cm2G) and temperature of 210÷250°С.
The distinctive feature of tubular reactor operation specifically under the conditions of existing synthesis process is the fact that this reactor operates on a mixture of fresh converted gas and circulation gas what allows to additionally control the synthesis process, by changing fresh and circulation gas ratio depending on catalyst activity in the beginning, middle and end of cycle.