• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.826-833
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• 2014

Driven by both environmental and economic reasons, the development of small to medium scale GTL(gas-to-liquid) process for offshore applications and for utilizing other stranded or associated gas has recently been studied increasingly. Microchannel GTL reactors have been prefrered over the conventional GTL reactors for such applications, due to its compactness, and additional advantages of small heat and mass transfer distance desired for high heat transfer performance and reactor conversion. In this work, multi-microchannel reactor was simulated by using commercial CFD code, ANSYS FLUENT, to study the geometric effect of the microchannels on the heat transfer phenomena. A heat generation curve was first calculated by modeling a Fischer-Tropsch reaction in a single-microchannel reactor model using Matlab-ASPEN integration platform. The calculated heat generation curve was implemented to the CFD model. Four design variables based on the microchannel geometry namely coolant channel width, coolant channel height, coolant channel to process channel distance, and coolant channel to coolant channel distance, were selected for calculating three dependent variables namely, heat flux, maximum temperature of coolant channel, and maximum temperature of process channel. The simulation results were visualized to understand the effects of the design variables on the dependent variables. Heat flux and maximum temperature of cooling channel and process channel were found to be increasing when coolant channel width and height were decreased. Coolant channel to process channel distance was found to have no effect on the heat transfer phenomena. Finally, total heat flux was found to be increasing and maximum coolant channel temperature to be decreasing when coolant channel to coolant channel distance was decreased. Using the qualitative trend revealed from the present study, an appropriate process channel and coolant channel geometry along with the distance between the adjacent channels can be recommended for a microchannel reactor that meet a desired reactor performance on heat transfer phenomena and hence reactor conversion of a Fischer-Tropsch microchannel reactor.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.92-102
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• 2017

Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction converts syngas (mixture of CO and H2) to valuable hydrocarbon products. Simulation of low temperature Fischer -Tropsch Synthesis reaction and heat transfer at intensified process condition using catalyst filled single and multichannel microchannel reactor is considered. Single channel model simulation indicated potential for process intensification (higher GHSV of $30000hr^{-1}$ in presence of theoretical Cobalt based super-active catalyst) while still achieving CO conversion greater than ~65% and $C_{5+}$ selectivity greater than ~74%. Conjugate heat transfer simulation with multichannel reactor block models considering three different combinations of reactor configuration and coolant type predicted ${\Delta}T_{max}$ equal to 23 K for cross-flow configuration with wall boiling coolant, 15 K for co-current flow configuration with subcooled coolant, and 13 K for co-current flow configuration with wall boiling coolant. In the range of temperature maintained (498 - 521 K), chain growth probability calculated is desirable for low-temperature Fisher-Tropsch Synthesis.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.876-879
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• 2009

Fischer-Tropsch 합성 반응과 같은 slurry bubble column reactor에서는 반응 속도를 증진시키기 위해서는 서로 다른 상간의 접촉 면적을 최대화함으로써 물질 전달을 원활하게 유지하여야 한다. 특히 Fischer-Tropsch 합성 반응에서는 반응물인 기체가 촉매로서 기능하는 고체 표면으로의 external mass transfer가 효과적으로 이루어져야 하기 때문에 반응기 내의 기체의 거동뿐만 아니라 고체인 촉매의 분포에 대한 연구가 활발하게 이루어지고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 반응기 내에 기체의 superficial velocity를 변화시키면서 기체의 hold up 뿐만 아니라 고체 입자의 분포특성에 대하여 관찰하였다. Superficial velocity가 증가함에따라 gas hold up의 경우, 일정하게 증가하다가 6 cm/sec 이상에서 그 증가폭이 감소하였다. 즉 6 cm/sec이상에서 turbulent flow regime을 형성하였다. 또한 고체입자의 분포 역시 기체의 superficial velocity가 증가함에따라 보다 균일하게 되는 것을 확인할 수 있었다.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.190-198
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• 2010

GTL(gas-to-liquid) fuel produced by the Fischer-Tropsch process using carbon monoxide(CO) and hydrogen(H2) is expected to be one of the environmental friendly fuel for alternative and blended to petrodiesel. But GTL have poor lubricity due to paraffin as main component of GTL which is not involve polar materials. In this paper, we had investigated the lubricity improvement of GTL fuels with various lubricants using HFRR(high frequency reciprocating rig).

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.136.2-136.2
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• 2011

A dynamic simulation study on SCR process in GTL process was carried out in order to find optimum operation conditions for pilot plant operation. Optimum operating conditions for SCR synthesis gas process were determined by changing operation variables such as feed temperature and pressure. It was also assumed that physical properties of reaction medium were governed by RKS (Redlich-Kwong-Soave) equation. The effect of temperature and pressure on synthesis gas process $H_2$/CO ratio were mainly examined. Dynamic simulation results were fed back to feed operation condition for optimizing productivity, especially for appropriate condition to FT (Fischer-Tropsch) synthesis unit.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.793-794
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• 2010

Fischer-Tropsch(F-T) reaction, in which syngas($H_2+CO$) is transformed into liquid fuels, has attracted much attention recently due to the limited reservoir of petroleum. The formed F-T wax can be converted into various liquid fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants, etc., through the hydrocracking reaction. To carry out the hydrocracking reaction, the bifunctional catalyst is required, in which hydrogenation/dehydrogenation occurs over metal and cracking proceeds over solid acid sites. In this contribution, we review the reported hydrocracking catalysts and summarize some process variables (feed compositions, reaction temperature and reaction pressure) for each catalyst.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers Conference
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.658-663
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• 2010

With petroleum reserves dwindling, interest has been increasing worldwide in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FT) as a method of producing synthetic liquid fuels and chemicals from coal, natural gas or biomass. In general, FT synthesis is operated through the gas phase fixed-bed reaction system. Recently, there are lots of study in supercritical fluid due to unique characteristics such as the quick diffusion of reactant gas, effective removal of reaction heat, and the in-situ extraction of high molecular weight hydrocarbon, such as wax. In this study, our major aim is to obtain a deeper insight into the effect of the type of support on the reaction performance over a supported cobalt catalyst in a fixed bed reactor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.15-21
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• 2011

With petroleum reserves dwindling, interest has been increasing worldwide in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FT) as a method of producing synthetic liquid fuels and chemicals from coal, natural gas or biomass. In general, FT synthesis is operated through the gas phase fixed-bed reaction system. Recently, there are lots of study in supercritical fluid due to unique characteristics such as the quick diffusion of reactant gas, effective removal of reaction heat, and the in-situ extraction of high molecular weight hydrocarbon, such as wax. In this study, our major aim is to obtain a deeper insight into the effect of the type of support on the reaction performance over a supported cobalt catalyst in a fixed bed reactor.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.53 no.6
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• pp.818-823
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• 2015

In this study, FT reaction in a microchannel was simulated using computational fluid dynamics(CFD), and sensitivity analyses conducted to see effects of channel geometry variables, namely, process channel width, height, gap between process channel and cooling channel, and gap between process channels on the channel temperature profile. Microchannel reactor considered in the study is composed of five reaction channels with height and width ranging from 0.5 mm to 5.0 mm. Cooling surfaces is assumed to be in isothermal condition to account for the heat exchange between the surface and process channels. A gas mixture of $H_2$ and CO($H_2/CO$ molar ratio = 2) is used as a reactant and operating conditions are the following: GHSV(gas hourly space velocity) = $10000h^{-1}$, pressure = 20 bar, and temperature = 483 K. From the simulation study, it was confirmed that heat removal in an FT microchannel reactor is affected channel geometry variables. Of the channel geometry variables considered, channel height and width have significant effect on the channel temperature profile. However, gap between cooling surface and process channel, and gap between process channels have little effect. Maximum temperature in the reaction channel was found to be proportional to channel height, and not affected by the width over a particular channel width size. Therefore, microchannels with smaller channel height(about less than 2 mm) and bigger channel width (about more than 4 mm), can be attractive design for better heat removal and higher production.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.519-530
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• 2009

Reducing the emission of carbon dioxide, which is the main contributor to the green house effect, is becoming a global hot issue. Great attention has been thus given to utilization of carbon dioxide rather than just capturing and isolating it because it could convert carbon dioxide to high-value chemicals. In this paper, recent research trends are investigated on the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to syngas in the context of $CH_4$, dry-reforming, trireforming, and the electro-catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide through SOFC(Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) system. Research trends for utilizing syngas to high-value-added useful products, mainly fuel such as DME(Dimethyl Ether) are also discussed.