Screening the Optimized Operating Condition for Fuel Production Through Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis with the Co@C(Z-d)@void-SiO₂@CeO₂ Catalyst

This study investigates the catalytic performance of the multi-shell Co@C(Z-d)@Void-SiO₂@CeO₂ catalyst in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) under optimized operating conditions. Using response surface methodology (RSM) with a central composite design (CCD), we examined the effects of four key operating parameters—pressure, temperature, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), and the H₂/CO feed ratio—on three critical response variables: CO conversion (X_CO), methane selectivity (S_C1), and selectivity for heavier hydrocarbons (S_C5+). Polynomial models for each response were developed based on experimental data and evaluated through analysis of variance (ANOVA). The optimization revealed that the ideal conditions for maximizing X_CO (78.36%) and S_C5+ (97.15%) while minimizing S_C1 (3.11%) are a pressure of 25 bar, temperature of 230 °C, GHSV of 800 h⁻¹, and a H₂/CO ratio of 1.6. These findings provide clear guidance on how to achieve higher efficiency in FTS, with a desirability of 0.914 under the optimal conditions.