Numerical modelling of a steam methane reformer

Holt, Jane Elizabeth; Kreusser, Jannette; Herritsch, Alfred; Watson, Matthew J.

doi:10.21914/anziamj.v59i0.12635

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Equation 16 determines the change in molar flow rate of species along the tube as defined by Froment et al, 16 where nj is the molar flow rate of species j, z is the distance from the top of the reformer tube, ε is the overall catalyst bed void fraction, ρ cat is the loaded density of the catalyst bed, D i is the internal diameter of the reformer tube, r i,bulk is the rate of reaction in the bulk for reaction i, ν i,j is the stoichiometric coefficient of the component j for reaction i, η diffusion is the ratio of reaction rates within the catalyst and in the bulk (this is described in detail by Holt et al 2 ). The parameter η degradation is a combination of time-dependent degradation factors including changes in the catalytic surface area due to sintering (growth of Ni crystals) and poisoning (irreversible reaction of feedstock impurities with the catalyst).…”

Section: ■ Model Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A Python model of the tube side of the reformer has been developed as detailed by Holt et al, 2 which is an extension of the model developed by Xu and Froment. 3 The model of Holt et al includes more accurate estimations of various process parameters and the reaction mechanisms of higher hydrocarbons (HHC) (C 2 −C 4 ) as presented by Seong et al 4 This model of the catalyst-filled tube is more detailed than some recently published 1D models, 5 albeit lacking direct modeling of the reformer furnace.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Operational Effects in a Steam Methane Reformer. Part A: Reformer Output

Severinsen

Herritsch

Watson

2021

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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Key decisions in developing a model of a steam methane reformer were investigated in this paper. A comprehensive one-dimensional Python model of a reformer tube is proposed, including the effects of sintering and poisoning. Comparison between the Redlich−Kwong and ideal gas equations of state shows little difference upon reformed gas outlet properties. Different reaction kinetic models are tested over a variety of realistic conditions and compared against industrial data. Overall, these changes only impact conditions near the reactor inlet, as the approach to thermodynamic equilibrium near the reactor outlet ensures that all model-predicted process variables at the outlet are similar. Models from both Xu and Froment and Hou and Hughes are recommended for future reformer models where accurate outlet variables are required.

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Section: ■ Model Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Operational Effects in a Steam Methane Reformer. Part A: Reformer Output

Severinsen

Herritsch

Watson

2021

Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

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“…This study aims to demonstrate that a structural change in the supply of natural gas to Poland could noticeably affect the amount of hydrogen produced in the steam methane reforming process at existing production facilities that receive gas directly from the transmission network. The impact of changes occurring in the chemical composition of the feedstock on the reforming process in the SMR reactor has been analyzed in previous studies, including [38][39][40][41][42]. Based on these studies, a model for which simulations were conducted by assuming changes in the quality of the supplied natural gas corresponding to accurate measurements was developed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of the Changes in Natural Gas Supplies to Poland on the Amount of Hydrogen Produced in the SMR Reactor

Biały,

Żywczak,

Szurlej

2024

Energies

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Thanks to investments in diversifying the supply of natural gas, Poland did not encounter any gas supply issues in 2022 when gas imports from Russia were ceased due to the Russian Federation’s armed intervention in Ukraine. Over the past few years, the supply of gas from routes other than the eastern route has substantially grown, particularly the supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) via the LNG terminal in Świnoujście. The growing proportion of LNG in Poland’s gas supply leads to a rise in ethane levels in natural gas, as verified by the review of data taken at a specific location within the gas system over the years 2015, 2020, and 2022. Using measurements of natural gas composition, the effectiveness of the steam hydrocarbon reforming process was simulated in the Gibbs reactor via Aspen HYSYS. The simulations confirmed that as the concentration of ethane in the natural gas increased, the amount of hydrogen produced, and the heat required for reactions in the reformer also increased. This article aims to analyze the influence of the changes in natural gas quality in the Polish transmission network caused by changes in supply structures on the mass and heat balance of the theoretical steam reforming reactor. Nowadays, the chemical composition of natural gas may be significantly different from that assumed years ago at the plant’s design stage. The consequence of such a situation may be difficulties in operating, especially when controlling the quantity of incoming natural gas to the reactor based on volumetric flow without considering changes in chemical composition.

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“…The industrial users of any ammonia plant would like to have the ability to rapidly monitor and evaluate the performance of the SMR in its regular operation life in steady-state and dynamic mode. Many models have been created to describe SMR units with varying levels of details [3][4][5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Method of Monitoring and Optimization of Steam Methane Reformer Process

Zečević

Bolf

2020

Processes

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Reforming of natural gas with steam represents the most energy-intensive part of ammonia production. An integrated numerical model for calculating composition of primary reforming products with cross-checking of outlet methane molar concentration, heat duty, maximum tube wall temperature, tube pressure drops, and approach to equilibrium was set up involving production parameters. In particular, the model was used for continuous monitoring and optimization of a steam methane reformer (SMR) catalyst in ammonia production. The calculations involve the solution of material and energy balance equations along with reaction kinetic expressions. Open source code based on Matlab file was used for modelling and calculation of various physical properties of the reacting gases. One of the main contributions is development of the rapid integrated method for data exchange between any distributed control system (DCS) and the model to accomplish continuous monitoring and optimization of SMR catalyst and reformer tubes. Integrated memory block was proposed for rapid synchronization between commercial DCS with the model solver. The developed model was verified with the industrial top-fired SMR unit in ammonia production located in Petrokemija, Croatia. Practical application of proposed solution can ensure overall energy savings of up to 3% in ammonia production.

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Numerical modelling of a steam methane reformer

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Modeling Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Operational Effects in a Steam Methane Reformer. Part A: Reformer Output

Modeling Kinetic, Thermodynamic, and Operational Effects in a Steam Methane Reformer. Part A: Reformer Output

The Influence of the Changes in Natural Gas Supplies to Poland on the Amount of Hydrogen Produced in the SMR Reactor

Integrated Method of Monitoring and Optimization of Steam Methane Reformer Process

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