Modified simulation of methane steam reforming in Pd-membrane/packed-bed type reactor

Methane Steam Reforming (MSR) is a catalytic process in which methane is reacted with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases. Many experimental and simulation studies have been assumed to be under isothermal conditions using a packed-bed inert membrane reactor (PBIMR). However, the flow fields inside the reactor are complex and a temperature gradient also occurs because of the catalyst particles packed in the reactor. This study suggests a new model considering heat transfer at the reactor wall and pressure drop inside the reactor. The model applies to the MSR reaction using PBIMR with a stainless steel reactor supported by a palladium membrane and packed-bed type reactor. Results are compared with the published experimental and simulation results. The simulation results suggested in the study shows better agreement than the simple model with constant temperature assumption, for both cases of palladium membrane and packed-bed type reactor. In addition, the effects of H2O/CH4, flow rate of sweep gas and particle diameter of catalyst on the methane conversion are investigated. In ail cases, the proposed heat transfer model reveals better agreement with the published experimental data than that of the isothermal model.