Simulated Application of Self-Heat Recuperation and Pressure Swing System to Industrial Methanol Synthesis Process

抄録

Since methanol is an attractive fuel and chemical for various applications, its demand will continue to increase. To satisfy this increased demand, new methanol synthesis plants have been built in Asian, Middle Eastern, and South American countries. Self-heat recuperation and a pressure swing system were recently developed as an energy-saving process design, in which overall-process internal energy caused by condition changes is recirculated within the process without the need for heat addition. In this study, the feasibility of applying self-heat recuperation technology and a pressure swing system to the industrial methanol synthesis process which possesses both temperature and pressure changes was investigated from energy-saving and process design points of view, based on actual plant data. Based on simulation results, it was concluded that the use of self-heat recuperation technology and pressure swing system is an attractive alternative for sustainable future development of the methanol synthesis process.