Solar thermal energy application to dry reforming of methane on the open-cell foam to enhance the energy storage efficiency of a thermochemical fluidized bed membrane reformer: modelling and simulation

Paulo Wendel Corderceira Costa,Jornandes Dias Da Silva

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i16.23844

Paulo Wendel Corderceira Costa, Jornandes Dias Da Silva

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i16.23844

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Abstract

The hydrodynamic characterization of the solar-driven CO2 reforming of methane through b-SiC open-cell foam in a fluidized bed configuration is performed by reacting Methane (CH4) with carbon dioxide (CO2). The mathematical modelling is important to design and optimize the reforming methods. Usually, the reforming methods's application through b-SiC foam bed improves the heat transfer and mass transfer due to high porosity and surface area of the b-SiC foam. Fluidized Bed Membrane (FBM) Reformers can be substantially studied as a promising equipment to investigate the thermochemical conversion of CH4 using CO2 to produce solar hydrogen. This work has as main objective a theoretical modelling to describe the process variables of the solar-driven CO2 reforming of methane in the FBM reformer. The FBM reformer is filled with b-SiC open-cell foam where the thermochemical conversion is carried out. The model variables describe the specific aims of work and these objectives can be identified from each equation of the developed mathematical model. The present work has been proposed to study two specific aims as (i) The effective thermal conductivity's effect of the solid phase and (ii) molar flows of chemical components. The endothermic reaction temperature's profiles are notably increased as the numeral value of the effective thermal conductivity's effect of the solid phase. is rised. The solar-driven CO2 reforming method is suggested to improve the Production Rate (PR) of H2 regarding the PR of CO.

Highlights

Reforming processes which make use of solar energy to drive high temperature endothermic chemical reactions are known as solar thermochemical systems
Solar catalytic reforming of carbon dioxide (CO2) can be carried out in a Solar Fluidized Bed Membrane (SFBM) reformer as an intensification process
The proposed model was solved by the finite volume method (FVM) in together with prescribed initial and boundary conditions to analyze the performance of the SFBM reformer module

Summary

Introduction

Reforming processes which make use of solar energy to drive high temperature endothermic chemical reactions are known as solar thermochemical systems. Solar thermochemical reforming is based in the use of concentrated solar energy as a heating source of high temperature for conducting an endothermic chemical transformation. The two-dimensional mathematical models are commonly used to estimate the temperature and concentration polarization profiles of the membrane processes (Silva et al, 2021). For this reason, a 2D approach able to systematically take into account this phenomenon is approached in this work. The performance from SFBM reformer using the solar reforming process is numerically investigated in terms of the temperature profiles of the endothermic reaction. It was studied the reactant and product distribution as well as conversions of CH4 and CO2 in SFBM reformer

Problem Description

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Results and Discussion

Conclusion