Responsiveness of the Production of Synthesis Gas from Liquid Methanol Using a Packed Bed of Porous Particles

Abstract

Passive production of synthesis gas from liquid methanol using a packed bed of porous particles supporting a catalyst is investigated. Heating of an upper side of the packed tube the bottom of which is immersed in liquid methanol causes upward flow by the capillary action enhanced by evaporation and syn-gas is produced in temperature increased dried region. The extension of the dried region toward the wetted region reduces considerably the responsiveness in the productions of the reactant vapor and syn-gas due to the high flow resistance of the bed. Utilization of a combined particle bed, which consists of two different size particles geometrically arranged and separates the dried and wetted regions to the prescribed ranges, allows low flow resistance and, as a result, causes significant increases in the mass flow rate and the responsiveness.