scholarly journals Modeling and Design of a Multi-Tubular Packed-Bed Reactor for Methanol Steam Reforming over a Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 Catalyst

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimin Zhu ◽  
Samuel Simon Araya ◽  
Xiaoti Cui ◽  
Simon Lennart Sahlin ◽  
Søren Knudsen Kær
Keyword(s):  
Steam Reforming ◽  
Packed Bed ◽  
Methanol Conversion ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Packed Bed Reactor ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Methanol Steam Reforming ◽  
Shell Side ◽  
Co Concentration ◽  
The Impact

Methanol as a hydrogen carrier can be reformed with steam over Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 catalysts. In this paper a comprehensive pseudo-homogenous model of a multi-tubular packed-bed reformer has been developed to investigate the impact of operating conditions and geometric parameters on its performance. A kinetic Langmuir-Hinshelwood model of the methanol steam reforming process was proposed. In addition to the kinetic model, the pressure drop and the mass and heat transfer phenomena along the reactor were taken into account. This model was verified by a dynamic model in the platform of ASPEN. The diffusion effect inside catalyst particles was also estimated and accounted for by the effectiveness factor. The simulation results showed axial temperature profiles in both tube and shell side with different operating conditions. Moreover, the lower flow rate of liquid fuel and higher inlet temperature of thermal air led to a lower concentration of residual methanol, but also a higher concentration of generated CO from the reformer exit. The choices of operating conditions were limited to ensure a tolerable concentration of methanol and CO in H2-rich gas for feeding into a high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) stack. With fixed catalyst load, the increase of tube number and decrease of tube diameter improved the methanol conversion, but also increased the CO concentration in reformed gas. In addition, increasing the number of baffle plates in the shell side increased the methanol conversion and the CO concentration.

Numerical Analysis of the Heat and Mass Transfer Characteristics in an Autothermal Methane Reformer

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joonguen Park ◽  
Shinku Lee ◽  
Sunyoung Kim ◽  
Joongmyeon Bae
Keyword(s):  
Mass Transfer ◽  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Heat And Mass Transfer ◽  
Steam Reforming ◽  
Space Velocity ◽  
Reaction Model ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Local Thermal Equilibrium ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Transfer Characteristics

This paper discusses a numerical analysis of the heat and mass transfer characteristics in an autothermal methane reformer. Assuming local thermal equilibrium between the bulk gas and the surface of the catalyst, a one-medium approach for the porous medium analysis was incorporated. Also, the mass transfer between the bulk gas and the catalyst’s surface was neglected due to the relatively low gas velocity. For the catalytic surface reaction, the Langmuir–Hinshelwood model was incorporated in which methane (CH4) is reformed to hydrogen-rich gases by the autothermal reforming (ATR) reaction. Full combustion, steam reforming, water-gas shift, and direct steam reforming reactions were included in the chemical reaction model. Mass, momentum, energy, and species balance equations were simultaneously calculated with the chemical reactions for the multiphysics analysis. By varying the four operating conditions (inlet temperature, oxygen to carbon ratio (OCR), steam to carbon ratio, and gas hourly space velocity (GHSV)), the performance of the ATR reactor was estimated by the numerical calculations. The SR reaction rate was improved by an increased inlet temperature. The reforming efficiency and the fuel conversion reached their maximum values at an OCR of 0.7. When the GHSV was increased, the reforming efficiency increased but the large pressure drop may decrease the system efficiency. From these results, we can estimate the optimal operating conditions for the production of large amounts of hydrogen from methane.

Characteristics of Flame Bases for V-Gutters Stabilized Premixed Flames

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan Gong ◽  
Yong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Temperature Gradient ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Premixed Flames ◽  
Flame Stabilization ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Heat Conducting ◽  
Inlet Velocity ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this work is to investigate the flame stabilization mechanism and the impact of the operating conditions on the characteristics of the steady, lean premixed flames. It’s well known that the flame base is very important to the existence of a flame, such as the flame after a V-gutter, which is typically used in ramjet and turbojet or turbofan afterburners and laboratory experiments. We performed two-dimensional simulations of turbulent premixed flames anchored downstream of the heat-conducting V-gutters in a confined passage for kerosene-air combustion. The flame bases are symmetrically located in the shear layers of the recirculation zone immediately after the V-gutter’s trailing edge. The effects of equivalence ratio of inlet mixture, inlet temperature, V-gutter’s thermal conductivity and inlet velocity on the flame base movements are investigated. When the equivalence ratio is raised, the flame base moves upstream slightly and the temperature gradient dT/dx near the flame base increases, so the flame base is strengthened. When the inlet temperature is raised, the flame base moves upstream very slightly, and near the flame base dT/dx increases and dT/dy decreases, so the flame base is strengthened. As the V-gutter’s thermal conductivity increases, the flame base moves downstream, and the temperature gradient dT/dx near the flame base decreases, so the flame base is weakened. When the inlet velocity is raised, the flame base moves upstream, and the convection heat loss with inlet mixture increases, so the flame base is weakened.

Optimisation of CO Turndown for an Axially Staged Gas Turbine Combustor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob E. Rivera ◽  
Robert L. Gordon ◽  
Mohsen Talei ◽  
Gilles Bourque
Keyword(s):  
Residence Time ◽  
Parametric Study ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Flow Reactor ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Two Stage ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper reports on an optimisation study of the CO turndown behaviour of an axially staged combustor, in the context of industrial gas turbines (GT). The aim of this work is to assess the optimally achievable CO turndown behaviour limit given system and operating characteristics, without considering flow-induced behaviours such as mixing quality and flame spatial characteristics. To that end, chemical reactor network modelling is used to investigate the impact of various system and operating conditions on the exhaust CO emissions of each combustion stage, as well as at the combustor exit. Different combustor residence time combinations are explored to determine their contribution to the exhaust CO emissions. The two-stage combustor modelled in this study consists of a primary (Py) and a secondary (Sy) combustion stage, followed by a discharge nozzle (DN), which distributes the exhaust to the turbines. The Py is modelled using a freely propagating flame (FPF), with the exhaust gas extracted downstream of the flame front at a specific location corresponding to a specified residence time (tr). These exhaust gases are then mixed and combusted with fresh gases in the Sy, modelled by a perfectly stirred reactor (PSR) operating within a set tr. These combined gases then flow into the DN, which is modelled by a plug flow reactor (PFR) that cools the gas to varying combustor exit temperatures within a constrained tr. Together, these form a simplified CRN model of a two-stage, dry-low emissions (DLE) combustion system. Using this CRN model, the impact of the tr distribution between the Py, Sy and DN is explored. A parametric study is conducted to determine how inlet pressure (Pin), inlet temperature (Tin), equivalence ratio (ϕ) and Py-Sy fuel split (FS), individually impact indicative CO turndown behaviour. Their coupling throughout engine load is then investigated using a model combustor, and its effect on CO turndown is explored. Thus, this aims to deduce the fundamental, chemically-driven parameters considered to be most important for identifying the optimal CO turndown of GT combustors. In this work, a parametric study and a model combustor study are presented. The parametric study consists of changing a single parameter at a time, to observe the independent effect of this change and determine its contribution to CO turndown behaviour. The model combustor study uses the same CRN, and varies the parameters simultaneously to mimic their change as an engine moves through its steady-state power curve. The latter study thus elucidates the difference in CO turndown behaviour when all operating conditions are coupled, as they are in practical engines. The results of this study aim to demonstrate the parameters that are key for optimising and improving CO turndown.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document