Ethylene production by pulsed compression
Yordi Slotboom is a PhD student in the department Sustainable Process Technology. Promotors are prof.dr. S.R.A. Kersten and prof.dr. G. Mul from the faculty of Science & Technology.
I have enjoyed doing a PhD on ethylene production by pulsed compression. During my years of research, I have spent hours in a bunker outside the high pressure lab. I have performed over 2000 experiments, each lasting only 15 milliseconds. In the final year of my research, a new pilot continuous reactor was successfully built and experimented with.
The research is about methane to ethylene conversion using non-oxidative thermal coupling with pulsed compression technology. A pulsed compression reactor (PCR) is used that utilizes a free piston concept, compressing gases up to 600 bar in around 8 ms and raising temperatures to 4000 K. The PCR operates at lower temperatures (< 588 K), making it promising for ethylene production from abundant natural gas. This research explores methane and ethane conversion, revealing high selectivity to ethylene and other valuable products. Chapter 2 analyzes the single shot reactor (SSR) and develops a simplified model for gas compression behavior. Chapter 3 demonstrates methane conversion without oxygen, using nitrogen as a diluent, with high selectivity to ethylene. Chapter 4 maps operational conditions to maximize product concentrations, achieving 28% methane conversion and 99% selectivity for desired products. Chapter 5 examines the impact of different bathing gases on reaction rates, highlighting a dependency on gas type. Chapter 6 presents a kinetic model for methane and ethane pyrolysis, improving predictive capabilities over existing models. Chapter 7 introduces a continuous free piston reactor design for endothermic reactions, showing promise for continuous operation despite operational challenges. Finally, Chapter 8 concludes that converting ethane diluted in methane is the best way forward for ethylene production, shifting the ethane dehydrogenation process towards net conversion of methane, thus enhancing ethylene production.
