Abstract—This study optimized the parameters inlet methane concentration, temperature and space velocity to achieve high catalyst activity and stability for methane decomposition. Activity was measured in terms of methane decomposition rate while stability was measured via the sustainability factor. A fluidized bed reactor was employed due to its inherent advantage of avoiding reactor plugging. Optimization was performed using Box-Behnken design of experiments. The highest methane decomposition rate of 0.78 mol/min was obtained with the parameters 50% (v/v) methane feed, 800oC and 20 l/gcat-hr. All three parameters significantly affected the rate of methane decomposition based on ANOVA. A second order polynomial correlating the methane decomposition rate with the three parameters was developed whose R2 value was 0.95. For a high sustainability factor these parameters were 10% (v/v) methane, 600oC and 60 l/gcat-hr. Only temperature had a significant effect on the sustainability factor. A linear model relating sustainability factor with temperature was also developed. It had an R2 value of 0.71.
Index Terms—Box-behnken, fluidized bed, methanede composition, optimization
Marie Loren Y. Palero is with the Chemical Engineering Department, DeLa Salle University – Manila, 2401 Taft Avenue Philippines (e-mail:m_loren_p@ yahoo.com).Leonila C. Abella is the Director of Research and Advanced Studies,College of Engineering and a professor at the Chemical Engineering Department, De La Salle University – Manila, 2401 Taft Avenue Philippines(e-mail: leonila.abella@dlsu.edu.ph).Teddy G. Monroy was with De La Salle University – Manila. He is now with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Makati City Philippines (e-mail: T.Monroy@unido.org).
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Cite: Marie Loren Y. Palero, Leonila C. Abella, and Teddy G. Monroy, "Optimization of Process Parameters of Methane Decomposition in a Fluidized Bed Reactor Using Ni-Cu/Al2O3 Catalysts," International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Applications vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 44-48, 2012.
