Influence of the oxygen feed distribution on the performance of a catalytic reactor for ATR of methane

M.L. RODRIGUEZ; D.E. ARDISSONE; M.N. PEDERNERA; D.O. BORIO

Lyon, France

Congreso; 9th International Conference on Catalysis in Membrane Reactors (ICCMR9); 2009

The autothermal reforming of natural gas has been proposed as an alternative to the steam reforming process in the production of synthesis gas or hydrogen. The autothermal reformer is conventionally a compact adiabatic fixed-bed reactor that could be used not only in large-scale plants, but also in fuel cells applications. However, a common problem in ATR is the evolution of the axial temperature profiles, which can exhibit pronounced hot-spots near the reactor inlet. These high temperatures introduce considerable stress on the reactor materials and can damage the catalyst, particularly when Ni/Al2O3 is employed. An attractive alternative to reduce or eliminate the hot-spots is the distribution of the oxygen feed along the reactor length. This controlled feed of oxygen can be obtained by means of a permoselective inorganic membrane, aiming to operate the reactor under milder autothermal conditions. In the present contribution, a simulation study of a multitubular membrane reactor for ATR of methane is presented. The feasibility and convenience of the proposed design to generate H2 for a 10 kWth fuel cell is discussed. The influence of the main operating variables on the reactor performance is also analysed.