Mathematical modeling of an industrial steam-methane reformer for on-line deployment

Fuel Processing Technology, Volume 92, Issue 8, August 2011, Pages 1574-1586

Mathematical modeling of an industrial steam-methane reformer for on-line deployment

Dean A. Latham (b), Kimberley B. McAuley (a), Brant A. Peppley (a), Troy M. Raybold (b)

kim.mcauley@chee.queensu.ca

a Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, 19 Division Street, Kingston ON, Canada K7L 39N

b Praxair Technology Center, 175 East Park Drive, Tonawanda NY 14150 United States

Abstract

Describes a mathematical model of an industrial steam-methane reformer (SMR), developed for use in monitoring tube-wall temperatures.

The model calculates temperature profiles for the outer-tube wall, inner-tube wall, furnace gas and process gas. Inputs are the reformer inlet-stream conditions, the furnace geometry and material properties of the furnace and catalyst-bed.  It divides the reformer into zones of uniform temperature and composition. Using the Hottel Zone method, radiative-heat transfer on the furnace side is modeled. Energy and material balances are solved numerically. The effect of important model parameters on reformer temperature profiles is assessed and the parameters are fit to data from an industrial SMR. … The model is capable of being developed into a more complex model that accounts for classes of tubes associated with different radiative environments.

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