Catalytic sorbent bed for improved production of methanol – SIMPA

The SIMPA project deals with the Power-To-Methanol process. It aims to shift the thermodynamic limitation of methanol production from CO2 and renewable H2 by combining a water sorption function and a catalytic function within the same bed. It will focus on the development of catalytic sorbent beds of increasing technical sophistication. Conventional sorbents/catalysts will be studied initially in order to implement the various techniques aimed at characterizing water sorption (sorption capacity, selectivity with respect to methanol and CO2, desorption) under the targeted conditions (typically 20 bar, 230°C) and to evaluate the catalytic performance in the presence of sorbent. MOF-type sorption materials will then be studied and characterized under hydrothermal conditions. Catalysts for methanol synthesis from CO2 will be developed to be active at low temperature and more selective for methanol. Sorbent/catalyst bed geometries will be studied to optimize methanol yield. The reaction will be implemented in a sequential sorption-reaction-desorption mode in two parallel reactors. Finally, all-in-one catalytic sorbents will be developed. Finally, beyond the experimental proof in sequential mode, a multi-scale modelling (sorption, diffusion, chemical kinetics, reactor, sequential mode process) will allow at the end of the project to propose optimal operating conditions and a cycling strategy for the methanol synthesis reaction assisted by water sorption.