Modeling Study of the Sorption-Enhanced Reaction Process for CO2 Capture. II. Application to Steam-Methane Reforming

In this paper, the reactor model introduced in part I will be verified using the results of an analytical solution for the increase of CH 4 conversion over the bed and validated using the results of sorption-enhanced steam-methane reforming laboratory-scale experiments. An experimentally derived rate equation for the steam-methane reforming reaction is used, a literature rate equation for the water−gas shift reaction. An overview of modeling work on the sorption-enhanced reaction process for steam-methane reforming performed by other groups is presented. The CH 4 and CO 2 profiles obtained from laboratory-scale experiments are quite satisfactorily described using a Freundlich isotherm. A sensitivity analysis shows that both the CH 4 and CO 2 profiles are sensitive to the adopted isotherm model and its parameters. In addition to that, the CH 4 and CO 2 profiles are sensitive to the diffusion coefficient. Neither profile is sensitive to the particle size or the heat of adsorption.