The recent shift towards renewables in industry has led to an increased use of biobased feedstocks for fuel production.
However, this transition presents new challenges that operators must overcome to achieve efficient processing. Mixing technology is a critical aspect of biofuel production, playing a vital role in reactor feed pre-distribution and reactor effluent treating. With decades of experience in static mixing technology in traditional hydrocarbon fuels production, Sulzer Chemtech is now bringing its expertise to the bio-based industry. There are many biofuel production challenges and highlighted are various ways mixing technology can help.
Improve catalyst utilization
Effective catalyst utilization requires uniform distribution of the multi-phase feed streams entering the reactor. Processing bio-based feedstocks requires overcoming extreme differences in temperature, density and viscosity, including high volumes of hydrogen gas in the hot recycle stream.
Sulzer’s mixing solution ensures close approach to thermal and phase equilibrium of the feed streams at the reactor inlet. This helps reduce side reactions which result in formation of solids and catalyst deactivation, improving overall reactor performance and optimizing fuel production efficiency.
Minimize severe fouling potential
The renewable feedstock is typically several hundred degrees colder than the hot, two-phase bulk recycle stream, which can result in thermal decomposition and undesirable side reactions that form solids. Sulzer’s technology helps overcome these challenges by achieving highly efficient mixing while utilizing an effective fouling-resistant element design.
Prevent mechanical damage
Entering the reactor, the injection of the cold feedstock creates a thermal mix-point, making the piping located immediately downstream subject to mechanical damage from thermal stresses if the extreme temperature gradients between the streams are not rapidly minimized.
Sulzer’s reactor feed-mixing technology addresses all these concerns by combining a highly engineered injector design with state-of-art mixing elements incorporated inside a special housing that helps minimize thermal stress.
Inhibit corrosion upstream and downstream of the reactor
Renewable feedstocks introduce impurities that can form corrosive components. The reactor feed mixer must be constructed with proper metallurgy to address corrosion concerns. In addition, halides or other contaminants from the feedstock can also contribute to corrosion in the downstream piping and process equipment. Incorporating a Sulzer reactor effluent water-wash mixer to remove corrosive contaminants has proven to be a highly effective solution.
The role of mixing technology in the biofuel industry cannot be overstated. As the industry continues to transition, it is crucial for operators to partner with an experienced and innovative solution provider like Sulzer Chemtech to ensure their operations remain effective, reliable and efficient.
For more information, visit sulzer.com or call (281) 540-2555.
