Performance evaluation of Pd[sbnd]Ag membrane reactor in glycerol steam reforming process: Development of the CFD model

Abstract

In the present paper, a CFD modeling of palladium membrane reactor, in which hydrogen produced through glycerol steam reforming, is presented. A comprehensive and precise kinetic and permeation model was used. On the basis of the equations and assumptions, an excellent agreement between model prediction and experimental data was achieved. Pressure, velocity and concentration distribution of various component within the Membrane Reactor (MR) were predicted. Moreover, the performance of both a Traditional Reactor (TR) and a MR was compared in various condition. The effects of some operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, feed flow rate and flow pattern on the glycerol conversion, hydrogen recovery and CO selectivity were evaluated. The most effective parameter was pressure: increasing it from 1 to 10 bar in co-current MR, the glycerol conversion, H2 recovery and CO selectivity were shifted from 46%, 17% and 6.6%–81%, 56% and 0.8%, respectively. The CFD model indicates that the performance of glycerol steam reforming improves when MR is used instead of TR. At various operating conditions the glycerol convertion enhanced 10–64% and CO selectivity reduced 7.5–99.0% in the MR when compared with the TR.