Abstract
The concept of Multi-stage indirect cooling and Radial Flow (MRF) is ideal for designing a catalytic reactor in which an exothermic equilibrium reaction takes place. The reaction is controlled to go on along the path of the maximum reaction rate in the catalyst bed where synthesis gas flows radially in the catalyst beds from the outer side to an inner center pipe across boiler (cooling) tubes to recover the reaction heat as qualitative steam. The MRF concept has already been proven in a commercial scale methanol plant and is unique not only for saving energy but also for considerable scale-up for which the enhanced design, MRF-Z®, provides. MRF-Z® is now offered for single train 5,000 t/d reactors used in so-called jumbo methanol plants.
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Hirotani, K., Nakamura, H. & Shoji, K. Optimum catalytic reactor design for methanol synthesis with TEC MRF-Z® reactor. Catalysis Surveys from Asia 2, 99–106 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019061921451
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1019061921451