A simulation study on the effect of CO₂ injection on the performance of the GTL process

This study enhances the efficiency of the Fischer-Tropsch process through CO₂ injection. Syngas production in the reforming units is simulated for three cases; two cases for auto-thermal reforming (ATR) with varying steam flow rates and a case for steam-methane reforming (SMR). Outcomes demonstrate an enhancement in the total refined production and the optimisation of the growth probability (α) in the Anderson–Schulz–Flory (ASF) relationship and H₂:CO proportion. Aspen HYSYS simulation outputs indicate that the ATR reformer at a steam flow rate 3223 T/D and a CO₂ flow rate 1500 T/D represents an optimal scenario for product enhancement. Furthermore, a techno-economic analysis indicates that the ATR (C3) option is the best performing economically with a net profit per input of natural gas and refined product output generating 542.94 ($/T) and 722.74 ($/T) respectively. The environmental analysis demonstrates lowest carbon emissions with 1.76 and 2.34 kg CO₂-e/T.