Resolving a Challenge in the Modeling of Hydrogen Production Using Steam Reforming of Methane in Monolith Reactors Using CFD Methods

Mohammad Irani

Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran Faridabad, Haryana, India.

DOI: 10.4236/ampc.2012.24B063                

Abstract

Reaction modeling of SMR (Steam Methane Reforming) process inside monolith reactors using two approaches were investigated and compared with each other. In the first approach, the reactions were assumed to take place exactly on the wall surfaces, while in the second approach they considered inside a thin thickness near the walls. Experiments of SMR were carried out in a lab-scale monolith reactor. A single-channel was considered and CFD model were developed for each of aforementioned approaches. Comparisons between modeling results and experimental data showed that the first approach (surface model) gives better results. Performing reactions are difficult and expensive, CFD simulations are considered as numerical experiments in many cases. It was concluded that obtained results from CFD analysis gives precise guidelines for further studies on optimization of SMR monolithic reactor performance.

Keywords

Hydrogen Production; Monolithic Reactor; CFD; SMR; Surface-model; Volume-model

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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