2D model of the transfer processes for CO2 methanation in a microchannel reactor

• A dynamic two-dimensional model has been developed for CO 2 methanation. • A simplified reaction mechanism with deactivation and sulfidation submodel. • The model describes transient and steady-state behavior of the reactor. • A simplified mechanism of the methanation agrees well with experimental data. • The multi-step reaction simplification technique is suitable for various catalysts. A dynamic two-dimensional model was developed for transfer processes in a microchannel reactor in an innovative plant concept for CO 2 methanation. The model is based on balance equations together with deactivation and sulfidation submodels taking into account the chemisorption of impurity (H 2 S). The deactivation of the catalyst is described by Levenspiel's deactivation kinetic model (LDKM). Sulfidation is defined by the shrinking core model (SCM) equation. Following the rate-determining step assumption, a simplified mechanism is derived for CO 2 and CO methanation in a microchannel reactor with kinetic rate expressions. The developed 2D model adequately describes transient and steady-state behavior of the microchannel methanation reactor following the trend in experimental profiles available in the literature.