1. Dry Reforming of Methane by The Reformation
Hussain Alsukairi
Alexander Fox
Sean Kasprisin
Timothy Poppert
Nykyta Olegovich Vovk

2. AGENDA Problem Statement Business Opportunities Alternatives
Assumptions
Process Flowsheets
Economic Evaluation
Future Work
Conclusions

3. Project Statement
The goal of this project is to design a plant for the dry reforming of methane to syngas and subsequent products. Feed to Syngas: CH4 + CO2 → 2CO + 2H2 Syngas to Acetic Acid: 2CO + 2H2 → CH3COOH Refined Objective: Determine R&D needed to further develop the Process

4. Business Opportunities
Many Opportunities Pertaining to Syngas
Location: Green River Basin, Wyoming
Broader Impact:
Industrial use of CO2 as a feed instead of byproduct – Further R&D needed
Safety issues with temperatures and pressures
Contemporary Issues:
Catalyst conversion rates and longevity
Current Emission Issues/possible benefits with more R&D

5. Business Opportunities: Products
Applications: Acetic Acid 25 c/lb
Vinyl Acetate Monomer
Acetate Esters
Food Industry
Propionic Acid 72 c/lb
Preservative for animal feed and grains
Herbicides
Flavoring agent

6. Alternatives
Steam Reforming of Methane Formation of syngas: CH4 + H2O → CO + 3H2 Water-gas shift for ratio adjustments: CO + H2O → CO2 + H2 Main Differences: Economic and Environmental Acetic Acid through Methanol Syngas to Methanol: CO + 2 H2 ↔ CH3OH Methanol to Acetic Acid: CH3OH+CO→CH3COOH

7. Assumptions 35% conversion for Syngas Reactor
Isentropic Compressors (72% efficiency)
Linear  Price Scaling for Compressors
 2 year catalyst lifespan
Pure Methane burn stream
Acetic Acid Reactor at 90% of equilibrium 
Linear scaling of Products for economic sensitivity

8. Dry Methane Reforming Flow Sheet

9. DMR Catalyst Rh.1Ni10/BN or Rh.1Ni/-Al2O3 : Around $500,000 per year
Potential issues:
CH4 Deposition:     CH4     C(s) + 2H2
Boudouard reaction:   2CO   C(s) + CO2
BN experiences less carbon deposition

10. Direct Acetic Acid Flow Sheet

11. Acetic acid catalyst
Ru(acac)3-CoI2 catalyst precursor on quaternary salt Bu4PBr: $467,000 per year
Potential issues: 
482 bar
18 hour residence time

12. Economic Evaluation: Feed Cost Capital Cost, and revenue
CO2 costs $0
CH4 costs $375,000/yr
Equipment Cost
Compressors $29,915,000
Heat Exchangers $321,250
Reactors $22,634,790
Towers & Trays $802,850
The Catalysts Costs $4,705,592
Utilities Cost $11,824,196
Total Capital Cost $470,559,152
Revenue
Acetic Acid sold $6.3 million/yr or roughly 25 million lbs/yr
Propionic Acid sold $40 million/yr or roughly 55 million lbs/yr

13. Economic Evaluation: NPV & IRR
Our Current IRR and NPV are negative.
NPV12: -$ million
IRR: -11%
Largely due to
Electricity $11.26 million/yr
Cooling Water $56 thousand/yr
Capital cost of $470 million
To achieve a positive IRR, Research should be put towards reducing the pressure needed for the catalyst to work in the Acetic Acid reactor, and into increasing the yield from the DMR.
If the price of Acetic acid, or Propionic Acid increased by 50% the process becomes more economically viable.

14. Economic Sensitivity Analysis: Tornado Plots

15. Future Work Refining and selling byproducts
Recycle streams from Burn Stream
Further products from Ethyl acetate
Develop an Acetic Acid Catalyst to operate at lower pressures
Develop a DMR Catalyst with higher yield
Carbon Capture from the Burn Stream
Possible water cooling integration

16. Conclusions Physically possible process
Not economically viable unless:
80% Syngas Gas Conversion
150% current Propionic and Acetic Acids prices
With all current assumptions holding true
Catalyst development for lower pressures is needed for this to proceed
Increased syngas conversion