Development and Validation of a Pyrolyzer Model for Ethylene Production from Natural Gas Liquids Using Mass and Energy Balance Approaches

Godloves Tondie  Nonju; Braye  Oritom

doi:10.51903/jtie.v5i2.552

Authors

Godloves Tondie Nonju Dept. Petroleum Engineering. Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Hungary, 50012
Braye Oritom Dept. Petroleum Engineering. Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, Hungary, 50012 https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4856-2323

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51903/jtie.v5i2.552

Keywords:

Ethylene Production, Mass and Energy Balance, Mathematical Modeling, Natural Gas Liquids (NGL), Pyrolysis

Abstract

Ethylene is one of the most important petrochemical feedstocks used in the production of plastics, synthetic fibers, solvents, and numerous industrial chemicals. The increasing global demand for ethylene has necessitated the development of efficient and sustainable production technologies. Natural gas liquids (NGLs), particularly ethane, have emerged as attractive feedstocks for ethylene production because of their high hydrogen-to-carbon ratio, availability, and favorable cracking characteristics. This study developed a pyrolyzer model for ethylene production from natural gas liquids using fundamental mass and energy balance approaches. The model was implemented in MATLAB to simulate the performance of a tubular pyrolysis reactor under varying operating conditions. Reactor performance was evaluated using fractional conversion, reactor temperature, reactor volume, pressure drop, space time, and space velocity as key performance indicators. The simulation results showed that reactor temperature increased from 894 K to 1063 K as conversion increased from 10% to 90%, while reactor volume, pressure drop, and space time exhibited corresponding increases. Conversely, space velocity decreased with increasing conversion due to longer residence time requirements. Model validation was conducted through comparison with published benchmark literature data. The validation results showed prediction deviations below 5% for major reactor performance parameters, indicating good agreement between model outputs and reported industrial operating conditions. The developed model provides a reliable preliminary engineering tool for pyrolysis reactor analysis, process evaluation, and future optimization studies involving ethylene production from natural gas liquids

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