Countless Possibilities of What P.I. Can Do

Process intensification (PI) options can be categorized into four levels: molecular level (e.g. novel catalysts and materials), phase level (e.g. innovative solvents), process unit level (e.g. compact, efficient equipment) and plant level (e.g. integration, new operating modes). PI covers innovative activities from lab, bench, and pilot scale up to industrial scale. At each scale experimental activities are complemented by modeling, simulation and optimization.

This presentation intends to highlight some attractive examples and activities regarding pilot scale and industrial applications in order to encourage researchers and engineers to reconsider these options in process development and commercial applications. By applying PI technology a process can, e.g., be enhanced for better conversion, yield, selectivity or efficiency. Compact devices such as compact reactors or compact heat exchangers, or the combination of more than one unit operation into a multifunctional device, such as catalytic distillation, can be mentioned as promising examples for PI.

Applying such PI options offers great potential to reduce CAPEX and OPEX for industrial applications. One example that will be discussed in more detail is the application of a compact heat exchanger reactor that has been used in the Fisher-Tropsch (FT) process to convert syngas to liquid fuel with a commercial catalyst at bench scale. The results suggest that the length of the reactor can be reduced from 40’ down to 4’, which means the catalyst inventory can accordingly be minimized. At the same time, the catalyst lifetime can be prolonged owing to the even temperature distribution in the compact heat exchanger reactor. Consequently, the efficiency of the process could well be improved, which makes the small scale FT process economically viable.

We hope that such examples and activities will stimulate researchers and engineers even more to come up with new ideas and concepts for the countless possibilities and opportunities for PI.