Dynamic simulation of pure hydrogen production via ethanol steam reforming in a catalytic membrane reactor

Ethanol steam reforming (ESR) was performed over Pd-Rh/CeO2 catalyst in a catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) as a reformer unit for production of fuel cell grade pure hydrogen. Experiments were performed at 923 K, 6–10 bar, and fuel flow rates of 50–200 µl/min using a mixture of ethanol and distilled...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Hedayati, Ali, Le Corre, Oliver, Lacarriere, Bruno, Llorca Piqué, Jordi|||0000-0002-7447-9582
Format: article
Publication Date:2016
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repository:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/102136
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/102136
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.06.042
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Catalysis
Hydrogen
Ethanol
Ethanol steam reforming
Pure hydrogen production
Membrane reactor
Dynamic simulation
Sieverts' law
Catàlisi
Hidrogen
Etanol
Simulació per ordinador
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria química
Description
Summary:Ethanol steam reforming (ESR) was performed over Pd-Rh/CeO2 catalyst in a catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) as a reformer unit for production of fuel cell grade pure hydrogen. Experiments were performed at 923 K, 6–10 bar, and fuel flow rates of 50–200 µl/min using a mixture of ethanol and distilled water with steam to carbon ratio of 3. A static model for the catalytic zone was derived from the Arrhenius law to calculate the total molar production rates of ESR products, i.e. CO, CO2, CH4, H2, and H2O in the catalytic zone of the CMR (coefficient of determination R2 = 0.993). The pure hydrogen production rate at steady state conditions was modeled by means of a static model based on the Sieverts' law. Finally, a dynamic model was developed under ideal gas law assumptions to simulate the dynamics of pure hydrogen production rate in the case of the fuel flow rate or the operating pressure set point adjustment (transient state) at isothermal conditions. The simulation of fuel flow rate change dynamics was more essential compared to the pressure change one, as the system responded much faster to such an adjustment. The results of the dynamic simulation fitted very well to the experimental values at P = 7–10 bar, which proved the robustness of the simulation based on the Sieverts' law. The simulation presented in this work is similar to the hydrogen flow rate adjustments needed to set the electrical load of a fuel cell, when fed online by the pure hydrogen generating reformer studied.