Abstract
To support the interpretation of the experimental results obtained from two laboratory-scale reactors, one working in the steam methane reforming (SMR) mode, and the other in the CO2 hydrogenation (MCO2) mode, a steady-state pseudo-homogeneous 1D non-isothermal packed-bed reactor model is developed, embedding the classical Xu and Froment local kinetics. The laboratory reactors are operated with three different catalysts, two commercial and one homemade. The simulation model makes it possible to identify and account for thermal effects occurring inside the catalytic zone of the reactor and along the exit line. The model is intended to guide the development of small size SMR and MCO2 reactors in the context of Power-to-X (P2X) studies.
Highlights
Hydrogen is mostly produced today through steam reforming of natural gas [1,2]
The main reaction is assumed to be represented by steam methane reforming (SMR), an endothermic equilibrium reaction: CH4 + H2 O CO + 3 H2 ∆H298 = +206.63 kJ/mol
Hydrogen can be employed in a methanation reaction, to produce methane to be fed into the natural gas distribution pipeline
Summary
Hydrogen is mostly produced today through steam reforming of natural gas [1,2]. The main reaction is assumed to be represented by steam methane reforming (SMR), an endothermic equilibrium reaction: CH4 + H2 O CO + 3 H2 ∆H298 = +206.63 kJ/mol (1). A model is proposed for a laboratory scale reactor, where the hypothesis of pseudo-homogeneous behavior is retained (due to the small size of the catalyst particles), but thermal effects along the reactor are analyzed in more detail by including the local energy balance. In this way, 1D temperature profiles along the laboratory reactor are evaluated, and it is found that, under relevant experimental conditions, temperature profiles can deviate from uniformity, due to the high enthalpy change of the reaction. Instead of attempting to minimize all the temperature-related effects described above at the experimental level, it is proposed to include them in the simulation model
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