Steady state modeling and simulation of the Oleflex process for isobutane dehydrogenation considering reaction network

ABSTRACT In this study, the performance of moving bed radial flow reactors in Olefex technology to produce isobutene from isobutane dehydrogenation is studied at steady state condition. The dehydrogenation reactors have been modeled heterogeneously on the basis of the mass and energy governing laws considering a two‐dimensional model. In this system, isobutane dehydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, propane dehydrogenation, and coke formation reactions occur on the catalyst surface. The coke deposition on the catalyst surface and the catalyst velocity along the axial direction result to an activity profile along reactors that has been calculated from proper correlation. To prove the accuracy of the considered mathematical model and assumptions, simulation results are compared with the plant data at the same process condition. The isobutane conversion and isobutene selectivity have been obtained at about 38.53% and 90.76%, respectively, which have good agreement with the plant data. © 2013 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.