Overcoming thermodynamic limitations of the low-temperature reverse water-gas shift in a sorption-enhanced fluidized bed reactor with continuous sorbent feeding and separation (SEFBR + CSF)

This work presents a novel approach for intensifying the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction by integrating an advanced fluidized-bed reactor design with a continuous solid sorbent feeding/separation strategy. The proposed Sorption Enhanced Fluidized Bed Reactor combined with Continuous Sorbent Feeding and Separation ( SEFBR + CSF ) enables continuous operation while maintaining the intensification effect traditionally associated with temporal-limited sorption-enhanced processes. This configuration externalizes the regeneration of the water-adsorbing zeolite, which is continuously and selectively withdrawn from the reactor in a partially or fully saturated state and replaced with regenerated material, thereby sustaining the sorption capacity throughout operation. Process intensification was experimentally demonstrated in the SEFBR + CSF configuration, which achieved CO yields significantly higher than those obtained in the conventional fluidized-bed reactor ( cFBR ). During the interval in which continuous sorbent feeding was applied, CO production surpassed the thermodynamic equilibrium limit at operating temperatures between 260 and 300 °C. When compared with literature data under similar conditions, the proposed system exhibited superior CO yields, particularly in the low-temperature regime where conventional LT-rWGS performance is typically limited. Overall, the SEFBR + CSF system represents a promising pathway for continuous sorption-enhanced operation, providing improved efficiency and enabling the process to exceed the equilibrium constraints of the LT-rWGS reaction.