Impact of heat transport properties and configuration of ceramic fibrous catalyst structures for CO2 methanation: A simulation study

Fibrous catalysts have shown to enhance mass transfer when applied to potentially limited reactions, and exhibit promising characteristics for heat transfer as well. However, heat removal seems to be the main limitation to process intensification when applying fibrous catalysts to an exothermic reaction. This paper investigates strategies to improve the heat transfer behavior of ceramic paper catalysts, by applying them to the exothermic reaction of CO2 methanation. A fixed-bed reactor model was used to simulate and study the development of temperature profiles, as well as the efficiency losses caused by insufficient heat removal. Different strategies were implemented in simulations to evaluate their impact on the management of reaction heat and hot-spots. The results bring forward the advantages and versatility of catalytic ceramic papers and other fibrous catalysts, as alternatives for process intensification, and to improve overall reactor performance in exothermic reaction applications.