H2 production by low pressure methanol steam reforming in a dense Pd–Ag membrane reactor in co-current flow configuration: Experimental and modeling analysis

CATEGORY: HYDROGEN
International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Available online 12 July 2013, In Press, Corrected Proof
H2 production by low pressure methanol steam reforming in a dense Pd–Ag membrane reactor in co-current flow configuration: Experimental and modeling analysis
K. Ghasemzadeh (a),  (b),  (c), S. Liguori (c), P. Morrone (c), A. Iulianelli (c), V. Piemonte (d), A.A. Babaluo (a), A. Basile (c)
a Department of Chemical Engineering, Nanostructure Material Research Center, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz 51335-1996, Iran
b Department of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia 57166-93187, Iran
c Institute on Membrane Technology of the Italian National Research Council (CNR-ITM), Via P. Bucci c/o University of Calabria Cubo 17/C, Rende (CS) 87046, Italy
d University Campus Biomedico of Rome, via Alvaro del Portillo 21, Rome (RM) 00148, Italy
Abstract
Researchers generated a pure or CO_x-free hydrogen stream using a dense Pd-based packed bed membrane reactor (PBMR) during methanol steam reforming (MSR) reaction. They constructed a valid model which can serve as a tool for deeper analyses of the reaction parameters in the PBMR.
They used a dense Pd–Ag membrane reactor (MR) to carry out MSR at differing gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), feed molar ratio and sweep gas factor (SF) and for low reaction pressures (1.5–2.5 bar). They used a traditional packed bed reactor (PBR), operating at the same PBMR condition, for improved analysis. In the PBMR setup, a dense Pd–Ag membrane with a thickness of 50 μm is used and also a commercial Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst was packed in both types of reactor. Researchers obtained methanol conversion equal to 100% in the PBMR at 280 °C, H₂O/CH₃OH = 3/1 and 2.5 bar, while at the same conditions the PBR reached 91% methanol conversion.
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