Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.31, No.12, 1767-1774, 2008
Optimization of Methanol Synthesis Loops with Quench Reactors
An optimization procedure for increasing the methanol production in synthesis loops with quench reactors is presented. The process decision variables are represented by a set of split fractions of the reactor feed to the catalyst beds. The optimization routine is coupled to a steady-state model of the methanol synthesis loop. Numerical results illustrate the performance of the proposed optimization procedure, presenting an example, where a considerable increase in methanol production can be reached after the application of the optimization procedure.