Hybrid Modeling of Methane Reformers. 2. Modeling of the Industrial Reactors

• Published in: Industrial & engineering chemistry research Vol. 48; no. 21; pp. 9376 - 9382
• Main Authors: Schwaab, Marcio, Alberton, André Luis, Fontes, Carlos Eduardo, Bittencourt, Roberto Carlos, Pinto, José Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 04.11.2009
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Kinetics, Catalysis, and Reaction Engineering; Reactors; Reactor; Modeling
• ISSN: 0888-5885; 1520-5045
• DOI: 10.1021/ie801831m

The steam reforming of methane is the main route for industrial production of hydrogen, used afterward for energy generation and production of chemicals. However, modeling of industrial methane reformers is not an easy task, due to the complex geometries of the employed catalyst pellets. The complex geometries are required to improve the contact between the gas phase and the solid catalyst. In this work a one-dimensional pseudohomogeneous model with axial mass and heat dispersion is used to model the tubular industrial reactors. The effect of the complex catalyst geometry of the pellets is considered with the help of empirical metamodels developed a priori for the effectiveness factors, based on CFD modeling of heat and mass balances inside pellets with different shapes and subject to distinct reactions conditions. It is shown that the proposed model can be successfully applied for simulation and design of industrial reformers, allowing for analysis of the effects introduced by distinct catalyst geometries on the performances of industrial operations.