| dc.description.abstract | Reforming natural gas is an essential first step in the gas to liquid (GTL) conversion to produce synthetic fuels. Among the various available options in natural gas reforming, dry reforming of methane (DRM), a catalytic reaction in which CO2 and natural gas are converted into syngas, is seen as a method to convert CO2 to valuable products. DRM however suffers from thermodynamic limitations and coke formation that hinder its commercialization. CARGEN™ is the latest advancement in natural gas reforming that addresses the shortcomings of DRM and enables its commercial implementation. CARGEN™ technology comprises of two integrated reactors in which the first reactor converts greenhouse gases to solid multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) while the second reactor produces syngas that meets downstream process requirements. CARGEN™ reduces the DRM process net energy requirement by 50% and could enable more than 80% CO2 conversion. The co-production of MWCNT presents significant economic incentives unmatched by the benchmark reforming processes in addition to the sustainability benefit of converting CO2. This work retrofits an existing GTL processing plant that produces 50,000 bbl/day equivalent GTL fuels using the novel CARGEN™ technology. Highlighted in this work are the various advantages of replacing the commercial autothermal reforming (ATR) of methane reactor with the novel CARGEN™ technology. The comparative study is built on a systematic approach started with a base case simulation of an ATR-based GTL plant. The model has been validated with experimental data at the industry scale and compared to the retrofit the base case model of the CARGENTM technology represented by the two-reactor setup. The simulation results demonstrate the capability of the CARGENTM to reduce the overall carbon footprint by 1,167 lb CO2/bbl GTL (73% reduction). Furthermore, the CARGENTM reformer unit improves the net water generation by 531 lb H2O/bbl GTL (141% increase). The novel technology further improves the GTL process as it reduces the oxygen requirement by 481 lb oxygen/bbl GTL (79% less). While the CARGENTM-based process requires an additional 5,455 SCF of natural gas/bbl GTL (61% more), it produces 536 lb of MWCNT for each barrel of GTL. | en |
