Catalytic Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide to Methane in Wall‐Cooled Fixed‐Bed Reactors‡

The methanation of CO2 was studied in a wall‐cooled single‐tube fixed‐bed reactor with a nickel‐based catalyst. Heat transfer and kinetic parameters were experimentally determined. Temperature profiles were recorded under different conditions: inlet gas mixtures with CO2 diluted in H2 or N2, tubes with diameters of 2 or 4 cm, and pressures of 1 or 4 bar at 160–200 °C. Modeling of CO2 conversion and temperature profiles by a two‐dimensional reactor model was successfully achieved. The study is completed by modeling technical reactors for both upgrading of biogas and conversion of a CO2/H2 feed gas free of CH4; design data of reactors for a production of 450 m3 of synthetic natural gas per hour are given.