Chemical looping reactor for sustainable chemical synthesis with CO2 capture

The main objective of this project is the development of a comprehensive reactor model for the design and scale-up of the chemical looping reactor using dynamically operated fixed bed layout capable of producing syngas with inherent CO2 capture. With respect to the existing modelling, this project will attempt the combination of 2D phenomenological model and CFD analysis and use it for the design of a small and large-scale units.
The specific objectives are reported below:
1) Development of phenomenological model based on 2D reactor modelling which would include the effect of mass, momentum and heat transfer phenomena by considering different uses of the technologies (e.g. chemical looping reforming, reverse water gas shift, chemical looping integrated with steam-iron).
2) Development of a CFD reactor model integrating gas-solid reaction kinetic model and time-space discretisation model. In this case, a commercial software will be used to provide also a tool to the industrial partner for further uses.
3) Design of the integrated chemical looping process for the selected applications of interest including the use of natural gas, biogas, renewables H2 and CO2, waste by-products, CO2-rich streams and waste offgas and assess the techno-economic performance.
4) Experimental validation of the reactor models by testing the lab scale reactor unit available at the University of Manchester.
This project is relevant with the EPSRC remit of process engineering, hydrogen production and CO2 capture and storage