Commissioning of NRL Two-Stage Pilot-Scale CO2 to Hydrocarbons Reactor Skid: Validation of the Fischer-Tropsch Reactor

To demonstrate the feasibility of CO2 utilization strategies, the design and testing of pilot-scale processes for CO2 hydrogenation at relevant scales is important . To this end, the design, assembly, and testing of a two-stage pilot-scale reverse water gas shift/ Fischer-Tropsch (RWGS/FT) reactor, capable of generating up to three liters of liquid hydrocarbon products a day using only CO2 and H2 feedstocks, was recently executed. The contents of this Memorandum Report describe the design specifications of the pilot-scale reactor, along with preliminary results of the initial commissioning of the FT portion of this reactor. Initial testing of the FT reactor utilized a closed loop recycle, with the tail gas of the FT reactor recycled back to the inlet of the FT reactor at a 20:1 ratio. The reactor bed was operated at 210 C, with a reagent feed of syngas flowed at 2 SLPM (H2:CO ratio of 1.8). This resulted in CO and H2 conversions > 80 , with a methane selectivity on the order of 8 to 12 , and yielded a hydrocarbon product distribution peak of C9 or greater. These results meet the expectations and targets that were established for the FT portion of this reactor. The results of this initial commissioning are interpreted and used to inform recommendations for further testing and evaluation of the two-stage WRGS/FT reactor.