IMPRS Seminar - Tandem Talk with Ronny Zimmermann and Prof. Dr. Kai Sundmacher

Optimal Design and Operation of Fixed-Bed Reactors for Power-to-X Applications

On April 20, 2023, a Tandem Talk was held in our Max-Planck-Institute featuring Ronny Zimmermann and Prof. Dr. Kai Sundmacher as speakers. The Tandem Talks are part of the IMPRS program and provide an excellent opportunity for researchers to share their current findings and challenges with each other. The event was attended by many PhD students who were eager to listen and ask questions.

Prof. Dr. Kai Sundmacher started the talk with a brief introduction to the topic of climate-neutral energy sources, discussing different types and their significance in areas like traffic. Following this, Ronny Zimmermann took the stage to present his talk on the design of load-flexible fixed-bed reactors used for Power-to-X processes. The focus was on the catalyst pellets and their impact on the reactor's behaviour.

Ronny Zimmermann discussed a model-based approach to determine the optimal catalyst pellet design for maximizing the fixed-bed reactor space-time yield. The approach showed that the best design for high productivity under load-flexible operating conditions is the one consisting of pellets with an active core surrounded by an inert shell. This design provides optimal performance without any unfavourable dynamic behaviour.

Ronny Zimmermann also compared the performance of this catalyst pellet design to other established fixed-bed reactor operating strategies. Moreover, he discussed an approach to prepare core-shell catalyst pellets by fluidized-bed coating. The model-based predictions were experimentally validated at lab-scale conditions.

Overall, the tandem talk proved to be informative and engaging, providing an excellent opportunity for researchers to exchange ideas and learn from each other's work. We thank everyone who participated, and especially the two speakers, and we are already looking forward to the next Tandem Talk.