Electrified steam methane reforming microreactor

Abstract

A promising way to rapidly and economically cut back CO2 emissions of steam methane reforming is the electrification of the gas-fired methane reforming process. However, there is a challenge to effectively bringing the required heat to the process, typically a hot stream gas, from an electrical source. This paper presents the architecture of a novel microreactor integrated into an electrically heated setup to perform methane reforming. Experimental assessment is presented, beginning with the syngas composition during dry, mix and ensuing steam methane reforming at 900 °C ± 2 °C, 71,000 h−1 GHSV, and steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of 2. It showed H2/CO ratios close to the calculated equilibriums and fast transient behaviours allowing reduced start-up and cool-down time for industrial applications compared to traditional reformers. The performance of the reactor was then investigated for a range of temperatures, mass flow, pressure, and steam-to-methane ratio. The experiments revealed a CH4 conversion varying between 82% and 98% following anticipated trends. The reactor was operated continuously for 170 h at 900 °C, S/C of 2, and 71,000 h−1 GHSV with limited degradation in its performance, mainly caused by carbon deposit on the catalyst. Finally, a cumulative of 400 h of test on the microreactor has demonstrated no apparent structural degradation or abnormal channel obstruction.