Simulation of methanol steam reforming process for the production of hydrogen

ABSTRACT

The analysis of this study focuses on the production of H₂ based on the methanol steam reforming in an isothermal, steady state and one-dimensional model. Two reactors namely, fixed bed reactor (FBR) and H₂ selective membrane reactor (MR) are being evaluated by simulation. FBR consists of a cylindrical column packed with Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst particle bed, whereas MR is a cylindrical reactor with one reaction tube consisting of an inert nature membrane (Pd/Ag) are considered. At the complete conversion of methanol, the yield of H₂ is significantly affected by H₂ selective membrane, temperature and pressure conditions. H₂ yield of 2.72 has been achieved after the almost complete conversion of methanol at 593 K temperature, the pressure of 1 atm and steam/methanol ratio of 1.5 in FBR. H₂ yield, molar flow rate of CO₂ has also been increased, and CO concentration has been reduced by using MR. Similarly, H₂ yield has increased to 2.76 with decreasing CO concentration using MR at the same operating conditions with an increase in pressure in the reaction zone to 2 atm. Hence, the results indicate that the H₂ yield with a small amount of CO has been achieved in MR at optimum operating conditions.

Abbreviations: FBR: Fixed Bed Reactor; MR: Membrane Reactor; SRM: Methanol Steam Reforming; MD: Methanol Decomposition; WGS: Water Gas Shift; PROX: Preferential Oxidation; S/M: Steam to Methanol Molar Ratio in Feed; O/C: Oxygen to Carbon Ratio; L/D: Length to Diameter Ratio; PO_X: Partial Oxidation; ATR: Auto-Thermal Reforming; SR: Sweep Ratio (sweep gas/methanol molar ratio)

KEYWORDS:

• Methanol steam reforming
• hydrogen production
• water–gas shift reaction
• fixed bed reactor
• membrane reactor

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of Department of Chemical Engineering and Post Harvest Engineering and Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Faizan Ahmad http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3832-5452