A heterogeneous dynamic model for the simulation and optimisation of the steam methane reforming reactor

CATEGORY: REACTORS
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 37, Issue 21, November 2012, Pages 16346–16358
Advances in Hydrogen Production (Selected papers from ICH2P-2011)
A heterogeneous dynamic model for the simulation and optimisation of the steam methane reforming reactor
Grigorios Pantoleontos a, Eustathios S. Kikkinides a, Michael C. Georgiadis b, c,
a Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Bakola & Salvera Str., 50100 Kozani, Greece
b Department of Engineering Informatics & Telecommunications, University of Western Macedonia, Karamanli & Lygeris Street, 50100 Kozani, Greece
c Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract
Describes the dynamic behavior of an industrial heterogeneous catalytic packed-bed reactor for the steam reforming of methane. The model consists of a set of partial differential equations describing the physico-chemical processes that take place both in solid and gas phases accounting for diffusional limitations within the catalyst particles.
Researchers validated the model against literature data.  The heat provided to the reactor wall was optimized in terms of the optimal H2 yield using a quadratic wall temperature profile. The values of the physico-chemical properties were adjusted to the severe operating conditions of the reactor accounting for multicomponent gas mixture properties. Results reveal that the 2-phase reactor concept along with the optimized wall temperature profile capture very well the dynamic conversion, the temperature and the partial pressure profiles both at bed and at particle level.
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