MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF AN INTEGRATED MEMBRANE REACTOR FOR METHANE STEAM REFORMING

Grazia Leonzio

Abstract: Today methane steam reforming is the primary way to produce hydrogen, due to the abundant availability of natural gas and its economic benefits respect to other processes. Higher purity of hydrogen can be obtained with membrane reactor. In this research a mathematical modeling for methane steam reforming reaction operating in steady state is developed for an integrated membrane reactor. A one-dimensional, pseudo-homogeneous model in isothermal mode is used. Ni(10)/CeLaZr catalyst supported on SSiC ceramic foam is used to ensure a better temperature distribution inside the reactor respect to a common pellet catalyst. Acceptable results are obtained with Numaguci kinetic and not with the common Xu and Froment kinetic that is very fast. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to study the effect of temperature and pressure on methane and carbon dioxide conversion and hydrogen yield: both parameters have a positive effect on the responses. Experimental tests are carried out to measure pressure drops inside the foam sample according the Hazen-Dupuit-Darcy equation: value of permeability and drag coefficient are obtained and are equal to 0.00043 m2 and 0.04029 s2 /m respectively. An isotropy test shows that this property is not present for the studied foam. In this case, the value of permeability and drag coefficient are equal to 4.59·10-5 m 2 and 0.07 s2 /m respectively.

Keywords: Methane Steam Reforming, Integrated Membrane Reactor, Kinetic Reaction, Mathematical Model, Pressure Drops, Hydrogen Production.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2016.0510043