A fluidized bed membrane reactor for the steam reforming of methane

Abstract

In the present investigation a realistic two‐phase model accounting for the change in the total number of moles accompanying the reaction is utilized to explore a novel reactor configuration suggested for the methane steam reforming process. The suggested design is basically a fluidized bed reactor equipped with a bundle of membrane tubes. These tubes remove the main product, hydrogen, from the reacting gas mixture and drive the reaction beyond its thermodynamic equilibrium. The proposed novel design is also equipped with sodium heat pipes which act as a thermal flux transformer to provide the large amount of heat needed by the endothermic reaction through a relatively small heat transfer surface, assuring better reactor compactness. Two options for fluid routing through the membrane tubes are proposed; each is suitable for a certain industrial application. The performance of this novel configuration is compared with that of an industrial fixed bed steam reformer and the comparison shows the potential advantages of the suggested configuration.

Methane steam reforming by microporous catalytic membrane reactors

“…According to Xu and Froment (1989) and Adris et al (1991), the following reactions can be assumed for the steam reforming of methane…”

The Catalyst Selectivity Index (CSI): A Framework and Metric to Assess the Impact of Catalyst Efficiency Enhancements upon Energy and CO2 Footprints

“…However, importantly for this present analysis, the catalyst life-time (hence efficiency) can still be improved from the process and feedstock quality control, as the carbon deposition can be reduced or significantly avoided through careful control of the steam/carbon ratio. In fact, the catalyst deactivation mainly results from sufur poisoning in most cases [67][68][69].…”

Autothermal Reforming of Methane with Integrated CO2 Capture in a Novel Fluidized Bed Membrane Reactor. Part 2 Comparison of Reactor Configurations

“…Based on this model, a one-dimensional two-phase model for a membrane-assisted fluidised bed reactor has been developed by Deshmukh et al [2,3]. Similar types of models have been used by the groups of Grace and Elnashaie and their co-workers [4][5][6]. In their model the number of CSTRs in the cascade and the sizes of the CSTRs are not directly related to the local bubbles size, but to the extent of gas back-mixing in each phase, which should be determined with independent experiments.…”