Work

Leaf-vein-mimetic fins enhance Fischer-Tropsch long-chain selectivity based on particle-resolved analysis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) plays a pivotal role in the sustainable production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels from syngas derived from biomass or catalytic CO 2 reduction. Fixed-bed reactors, although being widely used in FTS, often suffer from the presence of hot spots that accelerate catalyst deactivation and reduce selectivity towards high-value long-chain liquid fuels. Inspired by the hierarchical distribution network structure of leaf veins, this work introduces novel leaf-vein-mimetic (LVM) fins to enhance FTS long-chain selectivity. A particle-resolved FTS computation model integrating particle reaction kinetics, heat/mass transfer processes, and explicit particle-fin physical interactions is developed. Optimized configurations show a reduction of over 60% in the maximum temperature rise (at δ 0 = 0.5) and an increase of nearly 7% in C 5+ yield. The underlying mechanism is attributed to significantly improved radial temperature uniformity and the suppression of hot spots enabled by the superior heat dissipation capability of LVM fins. This work offers novel routes for producing high-value long-chain liquid hydrocarbon fuels from syngas via fixed-bed reactors.

Source: Fuel

DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2026.138746