View article

Transfer limitations were successfully modeled and optimized for iron-based catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis. The simulation model predicts the effect of changing reaction temperatures, reaction pressures, catalyst pellet size, and the feed CO composition on pore diffusion, film heat transfer, internal heat transfer, and pressure drop. The comprehensive contour maps obtained from the model quantitatively display the effects of these various design variables to both optimize catalyst design and provide guidance for kinetic experiments. The optimization results favor higher reaction temperatures and pressures, smaller pellet sizes, and lower feed CO compositions to maintain high activity of kinetically-controlled reaction rates. The optimal temperature (255.8 °C) was constrained by the rate of catalytic deactivation. The model was validated by experimental data acquired from a fixed-bed reactor and shows …