Experimental validation of a dynamic 2D model for catalytic methanol steam reforming in a fixed bed reactor
Bojan Grenko (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
Lindert van Biert (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
Robert van de Ketterij (Netherlands Defence Academy)
Wiebren de Jong (TU Delft - Mechanical Engineering)
More Info
expand_more
Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download, forward or distribute the text or part of it, without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license such as Creative Commons.
Abstract
The growing adoption of renewable power in the chemical processing industry shifts many processes into the dynamic operating regime. The common 1D reactor models used for process design are no longer necessarily adequate for representing transient operation. In this study, a 2D pseudo-homogeneous dynamic model of a fixed bed reactor is developed and validated using methanol steam reforming as focused case. The model is experimentally validated with combined measurements of reactor bed temperature and outlet carbon monoxide concentration in time. The study found that the 2D model matches well in values and trends with experimental data despite numerous parameter uncertainties and use of standard equations from the literature. The largest influence on model prediction was found in external practical heating non-uniformities, such as heat losses and added heat capacity of the reactor support structure. The non-uniformities can cause up to 20% change in CO concentration predicted at the outlet, and double the transient time in certain cases. The model captures well the reactor transient characteristics well, and is regarded fit for design of reactors in the unsteady operating regime.
help_outline