Autothermal steam reforming reactors with thermally conductive walls for hydrogen production

Autothermal steam reforming reactors with thermally conductive walls for hydrogen production

Junjie Chen

Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, 2000 Century Avenue, Jiaozuo, Henan, 454000, P.R. China

Contributor: Junjie Chen, ORCID: 0000-0001-5055-4309, E-mail address: komcjj@gmail.com

It is necessary to provide a reactor where the catalytically active components are immobilized on adjacent sides of the monolith dividing walls such that heat transfer can occur via purely conduction through the wall from one catalytic process to the second catalytic process. It is also necessary to provide a reactor where the monolith body is demountable from the inlet and outlet manifolds such that catalyst replacement and recovery of spent catalyst can be easily performed. It is also necessary to provide a reactor where the heat transfer characteristics are decoupled from the reactant or product fluid velocities such that the system can operate with moderate gas velocities and with low pressure drops. It is also necessary to provide a reactor of low thermal inertia and high heat load such that rapid start up and fast response to load transients can be achieved. The design comprises, in one form thereof, a chemical processing method to thermally contact an endothermic and an exothermic reaction without mixing the two streams, utilizing a thermally coupled monolith reactor. A ceramic or metal monolith is modified to produce a structure containing at least two sets of discrete flow channels and which are separated by a number of common walls. Manifolds are arranged such that one reaction mixture flows through one set of channels and a different reaction mixture flows through the second. Catalytic material, which is active for the relevant reaction, is coated onto the inner walls of each of the sets of channels. The two reactions are chosen such that one is exothermic and one is endothermic, such that the energy required by the endothermic process is supplied directly through the dividing wall from the exothermic process occurring on the opposing side. This method of heat transfer completely decouples the gas phase hydrodynamics from the heat transfer process.

Streamwise distance (meter), Heterogeneous reaction rate along the length of the reactor (mole per square meter per second)

0                                 12.1245

0.00025                             12.2056

0.0005                               12.3371

0.00075                             12.3931

0.001                                 12.3704

0.00125                             12.2891

0.0015                               12.1645

0.00175                             12.0076

0.002                                 11.8272

0.00225                             11.63

0.0025                               11.4214

0.00275                             11.2059

0.003                                 10.987

0.00325                             10.7674

0.0035                               10.5496

0.00375                             10.3354

0.004                                 10.1263

0.00425                             9.9232

0.0045                               9.72691

0.00475                             9.53772

0.005                                 9.35585

0.00525                             9.18161

0.0055                               9.01491

0.00575                             8.85575

0.006                                 8.70412

0.00625                             8.55976

0.0065                               8.42235

0.00675                             8.29183

0.007                                 8.16813

0.00725                             8.05097

0.0075                               7.94006

0.00775                             7.83509

0.008                                 7.73603

0.00825                             7.64259

0.0085                               7.55447

0.00875                             7.47149

0.009                                 7.39325

0.00925                             7.31962

0.0095                               7.25041

0.00975                             7.18541

0.01                                   7.12413

0.01025                             7.06625

0.0105                               7.01189

0.01075                             6.96101

0.011                                 6.91331

0.01125                             6.86823

0.0115                               6.82574

0.01175                             6.78591

0.012                                 6.74833

0.01225                             6.7128

0.0125                               6.67938

0.01275                             6.648

0.013                                 6.61842

0.01325                             6.5905

0.0135                               6.56401

0.01375                             6.53896

0.014                                 6.51549

0.01425                             6.49316

0.0145                               6.47196

0.01475                             6.45184

0.015                                 6.43277

0.01525                             6.41475

0.0155                               6.39735

0.01575                             6.38068

0.016                                 6.36501

0.01625                             6.35036

0.0165                               6.33607

0.01675                             6.32215

0.017                                 6.30899

0.01725                             6.29632

0.0175                               6.28384

0.01775                             6.27168

0.018                                 6.2601

0.01825                             6.24866

0.0185                               6.23744

0.01875                             6.22675

0.019                                 6.21628

0.01925                             6.20588

0.0195                               6.19553

0.01975                             6.18524

0.02                                   6.17518

0.02025                             6.16499

0.0205                               6.1546

0.02075                             6.1444

0.021                                 6.13426

0.02125                             6.12398

0.0215                               6.11344

0.02175                             6.10277

0.022                                 6.09166

0.02225                             6.08022

0.0225                               6.06884

0.02275                             6.05715

0.023                                 6.04483

0.02325                             6.03193

0.0235                               6.01875

0.02375                             6.00527

0.024                                 5.99094

0.02425                             5.97588

0.0245                               5.96041

0.02475                             5.94431

0.025                                 5.92737

0.02525                             5.90954

0.0255                               5.89105

0.02575                             5.87191

0.026                                 5.85159

0.02625                             5.83007

0.0265                               5.80776

0.02675                             5.78416

0.027                                 5.7593

0.02725                             5.73344

0.0275                               5.70642

0.02775                             5.67803

0.028                                 5.64823

0.02825                             5.61725

0.0285                               5.58477

0.02875                             5.55098

0.029                                 5.52507

0.02925                             5.49861

0.0295                               5.46342

0.02975                             5.43244

0.03                                   5.40902

Contributor: Junjie Chen, ORCID: 0000-0001-5055-4309, E-mail address: komcjj@gmail.com, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, 2000 Century Avenue, Jiaozuo, Henan, 454000, P.R. China