Project description

In light of the increasing expansion of renewable energies, a geographic and temporal mismatch between electricity production and demand is emerging. The “Power-to-Methane” (PtM) process represents a promising approach to bridging this gap: surplus, cost-effective electricity from renewable sources is converted into synthetic methane, which can be stored long-term in the natural gas grid or used flexibly.

The PtM process is divided into two essential steps. First, hydrogen is produced from water using renewable electricity through electrolysis. This is followed by the highly exothermic methanation, in which captured CO₂ reacts with hydrogen in a heterogeneously catalyzed process to form methane. The dynamic operating conditions with frequent load changes and, in particular, the intense exothermicity pose significant challenges for optimal process control.

In this context, microstructured, evaporation-cooled reactors offer a promising solution. Compared to conventional fixed-bed reactors, they provide improved heat and mass transfer, more precise temperature control, and a compact, modular design. The high latent heat of vaporization of water is utilized to efficiently remove excess heat – the resulting steam can, for example, be used as the input stream for the electrolysis, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of the process.

Although the reaction side has been experimentally and numerically studied in numerous previous works, the interplay between reaction and evaporation cooling within the overall process remains poorly understood. Therefore, the focus of the present work is on the numerical simulation and optimization of the dynamic interaction between reaction kinetics, heat transfer, and phase change processes in evaporation-cooled microsystems. For this purpose, particle-resolved models of the reaction side will be developed and coupled with the complex phase change mechanisms on the cooling side.

The research project is part of the MTET program (https://www.mtet.kit.edu/index.php, https://www.helmholtz.de/forschung/forschungsbereiche/energie/energy-research-field/materials-and-technologies-for-the-energy-transition-mtet/).

Further details and opportunities for a Bachelor's or Master's thesis can be discussed in an individual meeting. Feel free to contact Alexander Schulz.