Lurgi Methanol Process

Saturday, February 19, 2011

11:30 PM

Operates at 2:1 H2:CO Ratio

Can handle our project's production specifications. (process can exceed 3,000,000
tons per year)

Specifications:

Catalyst : CuO(60-70%)- ZnO(20-30%) Al2O3 (5-

15%)or Cr2O3 (5-15%)
Temp: 220-300C
Pressure: 5-10 Mpa
Typical Feed Composition: 59 -74%H2, 27- 15% CO,
8% C02, 3%CH4
Conversion of CO to MeOH per pass normally 16-40%
H2:CO usually ~2.17
Selectivity = 99.8%

Maximum conversion obtained at low T and hi P

The Lurgi MegaMethanol technology has been

developed for world-scale methanol plants with
capacities greater than one million metric tons per
Year (this is our methanol process here). The main process features to achieve these
targets are:
1) Oxygen-blown natural gas reforming, either in
combination with steam reforming, or as pure
autothermal reforming.
2)Two-step methanol synthesis in water- and gascooled
reactors operating along the optimum reaction
route.
3) Adjustment of syngas composition by hydrogen
recycle.
Reactor:
Isothermal
Heat of reaction used to generate high pressure steam which is used to drive
the compressor.
Optimum temperature profile in the reactor
High conversion
Low catalyst volume
Low Gas Recycle
Energy Efficient
 Methanol reactor is a shell and tube heat exchanger with fixed tube sheets.
Tubular
Catalyst in tubes and fixed on a bed of inert material.
Isothermal reactor
First reactor achieves partial conversion of the syngas at higher temperatures
compared with single-stage reactors
Methanol-containing gas leaves the first reactor, routed to the second reactor
without cooling.
In the second reactor, cold feedgas for the first reactor is routed through
tubes in countercurrent flow with the reacting gas. This makes the reaction
temperature variable and decreasing throughout the path of the second
reactor and the temperature gradient is the equilibrium driving force for
methanol synthesis over the catalyst bed.
Second reactor's catalyst does not get poisoned as fresh syn gas only enters
the first reactor. Catalyst life "virtually unlimited."
Reaction control preserves catalyst life in the first reactor.
 If methanol yield decreases in the first reactor due to declining catalyst, the
temp at the inlet of the second reactor will increase to increase the reaction
kinetics in the second reactor thus increased yield.
Methanol that results comes with H2 and CH4.
http://www.lurgi.com/website/fileadmin/pdfs/brochures/Br_MegaMethanol.pdf