Analysis & Adaptation of Advanced Fischer Tropsch Catalyst Structures and Resulting BOP Reductions to Fulfill Future Navy Fuel Needs

In the Phase I study, IntraMicron found that Microfibrous Entrapped Catalysts (MFEC) increased effective thermal conductivity by 3~12 times, improved selectivity and product yield, and significantly reduced the Balance of Plant (BOP) compared with packed beds; Ceramatec prepared novel catalysts for highly selective jet fuel production and designed a FTS modular reactor with fast external heat transfer characteristics. During the joint Phase II, the optimized MFEC are proposed for fabrication into Ceramatec’s proprietary FTS modular reactor for further improvements in FTS performance. The modular FTS reactor with MFEC will be evaluated and optimized for maximum selectivity to jet fuel production and reduction in BOP. This modular FTS reactor is designed to produce 1~2 liters of fuel per day, and it can be easily scaled up by increasing the number of tubes. Process modeling using ASPEN will also be conducted at Auburn University to determine those catalyst structures, operating conditions, and integrated designs that have the greatest impact on product selectivity, modularity, thermodynamic efficiency, annualized operating costs, and BOP. The optimal operational parameters such as temperature, pressure, H2/CO ratio and space velocity will be collected and documented for the up-scale design and operations in Phase III.