US EPA

1109887 

Journal Article 

Methanol steam reforming in a planar wash coated microreactor integrated with a micro-combustor 

Tadbir, MA; Akbari, MH 

2011 

Yes 

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
ISSN: 0360-3199 

36 

20 

12822-12832 

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.05.010 

WOS:000295756600018 

A numerical simulation of methanol steam reforming in a microreactor integrated with a methanol micro-combustor is presented. Typical Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 and Pt catalysts are considered for the steam reforming and combustor channels respectively. The channel widths are considered at 700 pm in the baseline case, and the reactor length is taken at 20 mm. Effects of Cu/ZnO catalyst thickness, gas hourly space velocities of both steam reforming and combustion channels, reactor geometry, separating substrate properties, as well as inlet composition of the steam reforming channel are investigated. Results indicate that increasing catalyst thickness will enhance hydrogen production by about 68% when the catalyst thickness is increased from 10 am to 100 pm. Gas space velocity of the steam reforming channel shows an optimum value of 3000 h(-1) for hydrogen yield, and the optimum value for the space velocity of the combustor channel is calculated at 24,000 h(-1). Effects of inlet steam to carbon ratio on hydrogen yield, methanol conversion, and CO generation are also examined. In addition, effects of the separating substrate thickness and material are examined. Higher methanol conversion and hydrogen yield are obtained by choosing a thinner substrate, while no significant change is seen by changing the substrate material from steel to aluminum with considerably different thermal conductivities. The produced hydrogen from an assembly of such microreactor at optimal conditions will be sufficient to operate a low-power, portable fuel cell. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 

Methanol steam reforming; Methanol catalytic combustion; Microreactor; Hydrogen production