MODELLING OF MEMBRANE REACTOR FOR METHANE STEAM REFORMING

Abstract

Membrane reactor is a chemical reactor equipped with a membrane as a separator. It is disseminately applicable in manufacturing many useful products by carrying out dehydrogenation, hydrogenation, reforming and oxidation reactions in membrane based reactive separation for biological systems and waste water treatment. Membrane in the reactor provides a semipermeable barrier to partially separate the compounds in reacting mixture. Methane steam reforming is one of the most important chemical processes for the production of syngas and hydrogen. From a thermodynamic point of view the conversion of methane is limited by the equilibrium. In order to increase the conversion, this process is carried out in membrane reactor Catalyst is packed in tube and membrane acts as a separator The reactor in this case, consists of a cylindrical tubular membrane. The mixture of methane and steam is fed in the tube. The purge gas is fed in shell. In order to study the performance of a reactor, which could have marked effect on overall productivity, it is essential to understand the complex process occurring in membrane reactor. With an apropos to the above, the mathematical model appears to have an unmatched concerns for analysis and simulation of process. Thus it is desirable to develop a mathematical model for methane steam reforming in a membrane reactor. In this present work, a steady state model for isothermal condition has been developed, which incorporates six differential equations along with six boundary conditions for state variables and appropriate constitutive relationships. The model equations are solved by RKF method in MATLAB. The experimental operating data are available in literature, were selected for testing the model predictions and to ascertain the correctness of the proposed model. Conversion profiles of methane in tube side along the length and conversion vs. temperature profiles have been computed and compared with those reported in the literature. The results are found to be in good agreement.