Speaker
Description
The methanation of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) over nickel-based catalysts plays a critical role in addressing global energy and environmental challenges. As a cornerstone process in synthetic natural gas (SNG) production, the catalytic methanation enables renewable energy storage and the use in transportation. It also underpins CO₂ utilization strategies, converting greenhouse gases into valuable methane, and supports hydrogen purification for industrial applications. These capabilities position methanation as a vital contributor to decarbonization and sustainable energy systems. This study investigates the reaction kinetics of methanation over a Ni-CeO₂ catalyst using a one-dimensional computational model. The model provides an efficient framework for simulating catalytic reactions and evaluating the influence of different reaction conditions. A detailed reaction mechanism will be developed, incorporating irreversible elementary steps parameterized by pre-exponential factors, activation energies, and temperature exponent derived from the Arrhenius equation. A sensitivity analysis will highlight the key kinetic parameters affecting the system performance. The model will be validated against experimental data before applying to new unexplored simulation conditions. This work aims to understand the kinetics involved in methanation processes using Ni as the active material and CeO₂ or Ce-Sm-mixed oxides as support and promoter. The redox capability of ceria potentially increases the activity of the catalyst by facilitating oxygen exchange between different reaction intermediates. This oxygen storage of ceria is enhanced by incorporating samarium into the ceria lattice. This contributes to the design of more efficient catalytic systems for sustainable energy applications.
