Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in a bottom split reactive dividing wall column

This paper aims to investigate if Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) is feasible in a bottom split reactive dividing wall column (BS-RDWC) from a theoretical viewpoint. In-built thermodynamic procedures of Aspen Plus, along with a detail kinetic model proposed by Iglesia et al. that predicts the consumption rate of CO and production rate of methane, and the Anderson-Schulz-Flory (ASF) model that relates products distribution to chain growth probability are used in carrying out the simulations. The chain growth probability depends on partial pressures of H-2 and CO and temperature of each stage of the BS-RDWC. The rigorous simulation results show that the BS-RDWC has a product yield of 3.92 kg/hr for syngas mass flow of 12.23 kg/hr, CO conversion of 86 %, H-2 conversion of 93 %, and carbon efficiency of 0.59. Simulation results of the BS-RDWC are compared with a conventional FT reactor followed by a distillation column. The results showed that the BS-RDWC configuration has higher total product yield and produces hydrocabon products with a higher purity than the conventional configuration.