Process simulation and optimization of methanol production coupled to tri-reforming process

Tr-reforming, as a new approach for the treatment of CO2 in flue stack gases, has been studied in this work. To determine the optimum operating conditions for the production of syngas with target ratio and maximum CO2 conversion, the effects of temperature (400-1200 degrees C), CH4/Flue gas ratio (0.4-1.0) and pressure (1-5 atm), on the compositions of syngas were investigated. Also, the methanol production from syngas has been rigorously simulated. An optimum heat exchange network was obtained with the objective of minimizing both utility and capital costs, which were calculated by General Algebraic Modeling system (GAMS). Furthermore, an economic analysis was carried out to substantiate the potential profits based on the conceptual results from heat integration. Results showed that the tri-reforming process, when integrated with methanol synthesis, is an economical approach for the treatment and utilization of CO2 in flue gases. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.