Modeling and simulation of a honeycomb reactor for high-severity thermal cracking

A new steam cracking technology has been developed that uses honeycomb-type ceramic reactors with high surface to volume ratios and is heated by flue gas. "Rectangular" process gas temperature profiles are possible with such a reactor. An optimal combination of temperature profile and residence time leads to a very significant increase in olefins yield with respect to conventional cracking units. Bench-scale results are compared with predictions based on a reactor model, which accounts in great detail for the geometry of the structure and the associated heat transfer, combined with a rigorous kinetic model based on radical reaction mechanisms.