CHAPTER 2

PROCESS SELECTION

2.1 General Process

The general process describes the main goal to manufacture and produce valuable
material from unwanted emissions and raw materials. In the case of this plant design project,
the main goal is to create a process to produce methanol from CO2 in hopes to reduce the effect
of climate change from CO2 emission. To portray the process that will be used, a black box is
projected to describe the genal process.

H2O PV Power
Black Box Methanol
CO2

Figure 2.1 PV Power to Methanol Production Process Black Box

From the Black Box it is shown that the general process converts raw materials into
methanol through the use of photo voltaic power. There are several alternatives in the process
of producing methanol from the raw materials used to achieve the highest yield and the upmost
efficiency in the process. For instance, there are several ways to obtaining the CO2 needed for
the process, from the use of lurgi, Kuarener, or using carbon capture technology. There are also
several reaction pathways that could be applied to convert CO2 to methanol, such as using
Water Gas Shift, Reverse Water Gas Shift, Syngas production, direct reaction etc. in order to
achieve the best process. There will be some addition of reaction and utilities to reach the
desired composition, such as electrolysis to obtain the H2 needed for reaction.
Black box will consist several major processes. In this plant design project, major
process that would be used is the process that would obtain the highest yield and maximum
efficiency would be chosen by comparing those probable processes. Although the black box
would have the main process of converting CO2 to methanol, using the help of photo voltaic
power. In the next chapter, alternative processes that could be applicated as the black box of
this process is described.