Optimal Condition of DME Production Through Syngas Hydrogenation in Dual Membrane Reactor

Typically, supporting the dimethyl ether synthesis reactor by hydrogen and steam permselective membrane modules and optimization of operating conditions are practical solutions to shift the equilibrium conversion of reactions toward dimethyl ether synthesis and CO2 conversion. In this regard, the aim of this research is to calculate the desired condition of hydrogen and steam Selective membrane reactors to improve dimethyl ether productivity. At first, the mass and energy conservation laws are applied to the membrane supported reactor to develop a heterogeneous model. After model validation, an optimization problem is programmed to calculate the optimal value of manipulated variables considering the limitations and constraints of the problem. Then, the main parameters of conventional and optimized membrane supported reactor including carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide conversion, dimethyl ether productivity, and temperature profiles are presented at steady-state conditions. The results of the simulation prove that dimethyl ether productivity is 0.0211 and 0.0262 mole s-1 in conventional and optimized membrane reactors, respectively. In general, operating at optimal conditions increases DME production by up to 24.2%.