Modeling of Autothermal Steam Methane Reforming in a Fluidized Bed Membrane Reactor

Abstract

Fluidized bed reactors for steam methane reforming, with and without immersed membrane surfaces for withdrawal of hydrogen, are modeled with oxygen added in order to provide the endothermic heat required by the reforming reactions. Porous alumina, palladium and palladium-coated high-flux tubes are investigated as separation materials, the latter two being permselective. Hydrogen yield and permeate hydrogen molar flow are predicted to decrease with increasing oxygen flow, and to increase with temperature. When the steam-to-carbon ratio increases, permeate hydrogen yield decreases slightly, while the total hydrogen yield increases for all configurations. The flow of oxygen required to achieve autothermal conditions depends on such factors as the reactor temperature, steam-to-carbon ratio and preheating of the feed.

Application of the Generic Fluidized-Bed Reactor Model to the Fluidized-Bed Membrane Reactor Process for Steam Methane Reforming with Oxygen Input

“…Figure 9 compares predictions from this model at different temperatures with the simulation results of Dogan et al, 9 who based their simulation on the twophase bubbling bed model, without allowance for axial dispersion. Their model also does not account for the influence of volumetric flow changes with reaction.…”

“…Figure 9. Predicted methane conversions at different reactor temperatures compared to other simulation results of Dogan et al9 for identical conditions given in Figure3and Tables 2-4 of Dogan et al9 …”

Gas and particle circulation in an internally circulating fluidized bed membrane reactor cold model

“…Several reactor models (e.g. Abba et al, 2003;Chen et al, 2003;Dogan et al, 2003;Grace et al, 2001;Patil et al, 2007) have also been developed to simulate FBMR processes. Experimental studies in a commercial FBMR unit were reported by Chen et al (2007).…”

Interactions between reaction kinetics in ATR-reactors and transport mechanisms in functional ceramic membranes: A simulation approach

“…The autothermal reforming (ATR) is a concept of producing hydrogen with increasing interest in research and industry [2][3][4][5][6][7]. It is essentially a combination of endothermic steam-reforming (SR) process chemically expressed as both of which are themselves concepts of producing hydrogen gas.…”

“…Based upon theoretical calculations and through verification from many experiments, it has been established that the ATR combines the advantages of the two hydrogen producing concepts, with negligible disadvantages [3][4][5] like additional heating or cooling of the reactor. Moreover, because of prior experience in industrial applications, much work was done to improve the design and the performance of ATR-reactors.…”