Modelling and optimization of a Biomass-to-Liquid process using VMGSim

Abstract

A biomass-to-liquid plant consists of pretreatment, gasification , syngas cleaning and

conditioning, Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis, and products upgrading.

In the FT reactor the syngas is converted to liquid fuels on a cobolt (or iron) catalyst. There exist

different reactor types of FT units, such as slurry bubble column, fixed bed and microchannel

reactors. Here, we want to make a model of a fixed bed reactor of the FT synthesis in a new

simulation system called VMGSim. A gasification model is already in the system.

A kinetic model of the FT kinetics should be implemented in the simulation tool. This

kinetic model takes into account a limited number of components, both alkanes and

alkenes, and the selectivity to different products depends on composition and temperature.

New process configuration of the BtL plant will be evaluated.