Background

At IMVT, a microstructured reactor for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (HTFT) using iron catalysts is to be developed in the future. HTFT typically operates within a temperature range of 300–350 °C. Since the vapor pressure of water readily exceeds 100 bar at these temperatures, a direct transfer of the evaporatively cooled microreactors used in low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is not feasible. The focus is therefore on alternative single-phase heat transfer media, such as special thermal oils or molten salts. A further advantage of a single-phase cooling medium is that it enables process heat integration for downstream endothermic upgrading steps. Another key design challenge for the HTFT reactor is the temperature sensitivity of product selectivity. A homogeneous temperature distribution throughout the entire reactor is therefore indispensable and represents a major challenge for single-phase cooling.

Objectives

The aim of the work is to compare different cooling geometries and their supply and distribution lines, as well as to evaluate them for the isothermal, load-flexible operation of a microreactor. The task is divided into the following sub-aspects:

• - Selection of suitable comparison metrics
• - CFD simulation of different geometries and subsequent evaluation of the results.
• - Comparison of different cooling media

Prerequisites

• - Structured and meticulous work approach
• - Knowledge of ANSYS Fluent is advantageous
• - Knowledge of CAD is advantageous
• - The focus of the work can be adapted according to individual interests.

The language of the thesis can either be in German or in English