Experimental data supported techno-economic assessment of the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane through chemical looping with oxygen uncoupling
Abstract
Ethylene is an essential building block in the petrochemical industry and it is almost exclusively produced via ethane steam cracking, a well-established albeit highly energy and carbon dioxide intensive process. The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane is a promising alternative to steam cracking reactions due to its exothermic nature, which decreases the overall energy requirements and carbon footprint. The need of a capital intensive air separation unit for producing oxygen limits its potential for industrial application. The current study investigates an alternative route, i.e. the production of oxygen via chemical looping, where oxygen is released in-situ by suitable oxygen carriers. The chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation, supported by original experimental data, and the steam cracking processes are simulated with ASPEN Plus®. A comprehensive analysis of the energy requirements and an economic assessment are carried out for both processes. Compared with state-of-the-art ethane steam cracking, the proposed process provides ~28% energy savings per tonnes of ethylene produced and ~21% reduction in the resulting ethylene price. Sensitivity analysis show that the economy of the chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation process is strongly sensitive to the feedstock price. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000493492Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Renewable and Sustainable Energy ReviewsVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
Elsevier BVSubject
Ethylene production; Oxidative dehydrogenation; Chemical looping; Techno-economic assessment; ASPEN Plus®Organisational unit
03865 - Müller, Christoph R. / Müller, Christoph R.
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