Membrane Reactor for one-step DME synthesis process: Industrial plant simulation and optimization

DME production represents a possible route of CO2 valorisation in the decarbonization pathway. This paper provides an insight into the basic design and process analysis of a DME production plant by implementing Membrane Reactors to convert CO2 at acceptable values. The paper provides the process analysis of the overall plant architecture related to an innovative DME production process configuration, called Double Recycling Loop DME (DRL-DME), enables the utilization of a pure CO2 stream as sweeping gas in the permeation zone (PZ) and a double recycling loop to reintroduces the un-reacted syngas and the outlet stream from the PZ. The mathematical model of the entire plant is presented and implemented to study the effect of the process parameters on the performances. This paper brings a step forward by determining the possible configuration and the performance of a whole industrial plant, able to realize the DME synthesis from CO2-rich streams in membrane reactor with recirculation. The whole process includes the utilization of a pure CO2 external feed, the steam production and all the necessary separation units. By fixing the set point of the process control variables, the recirculation streams are calculated though a mathematical algorithm founded on previous literature results. Through the mathematical model it is possible to estimate the CO2 conversion and DME yield as well as the main features of the plant, by varying some important process parameters (e.g. feedstock composition, reactor pressure, H2/COx).