Daan Groefsema, a PhD student in the group, received the Best Oral Presentation Award at the 13th International Natural Gas Conversion Symposium (NGCS13) in Xiamen, China for his presentation “Measuring Local Exothermic Effects during the Oxidative Coupling of Methane using Operando Luminescence Thermometry”. His award-winning work focused on measuring local exothermic effects during the Oxidative Coupling of Methane (OCM) using operando luminescence thermometry. In this study, the researchers employed Eu-doped Y2O3 as a hybrid catalyst and thermometry material to monitor local catalyst temperatures during the OCM process. The technique revealed that catalyst temperatures exceeded the set reactor temperature by up to 200 °C due to exothermic reactions. By adjusting the CH4-to-O2 ratio and gas hourly space velocity, they observed a clear correlation between local temperature and heat generated by the exothermic reactions. Additionally, the team investigated the relationship between heat generation and temperature rise in the catalyst bed, considering varying reactor temperatures, catalyst material amounts, inert gas diluent composition, catalyst grain size, and reactor dimensions. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing OCM catalysts and reactor designs.
