Performance test of a bench-scale multi-tubular membrane reformer

• Published in: Journal of membrane science 2011-05, Vol.373 (1), p.43-52
• Main Authors: Li, H., Pieterse, J.A.Z., Dijkstra, J.W., Haije, W.G., Xu, H.Y., Bao, C., van den Brink, R.W., Jansen, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: artificial membranes; Bench-scale membrane reactor; carbon dioxide; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; hydrogen; hydrogen production; Membranes; methane; Methane steam reforming; natural gas; NGCC; nitrogen; power plants; Pre-reformed mixture; Stability test; steam
• ISSN: 0376-7388; 1873-3123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2011.02.029

► The methane steam reforming reaction was examined in a bench-scale membrane reactor. ► Under NGCC conditions for CO 2 capture: T = 823 K, p feed/ p perm up to 35/25 bar(a). ► A maximum CH 4 conversion and H 2 production rate of 73.4% and 1.3 Nm 3/h. ► A stability of >30 days both for the membranes and the membrane reactor. ► Membrane reformer not yet a viable process for pre-combustion CO 2 capture with NGCC. Apart from H 2 production, hydrogen membrane reforming is also an attractive process for CO 2 capture when integrated in a natural gas fired power plant. In this study, a bench-scale multi-tubular Pd membrane reactor which has a capacity of 8.5 Nm 3/h H 2 product, was used to carry out the methane steam reforming reaction at near-practical working conditions: 823 K and up to 35 bar(a). The maximum CH 4 conversion and H 2 production rate were respectively achieved as 73.4% and 1.3 Nm 3/h at a feed/permeate pressure of 35/5 bar(a). A typical pre-reformed mixture (PR) was used as feed gas in this work, and was found to be more efficient than CH 4/H 2O mixture that is normally adopted in the literature. The steam sweep exhibited a similar effect as N 2 sweep except at very low space velocity that revealed steam outperforming N 2. Stable performance was found both for the membranes and the membrane reactor under the challenging conditions for over 30 days, showing a great potential of hydrogen membrane reforming for H 2 production. However, membrane reforming is found to be less attractive for CO 2 capture due to the low CH 4 conversion and consequent low driving force for transmembrane hydrogen transport at the high permeate pressure typical for NGCC operation.