Design of a thermally balanced membrane reformer for hydrogen production

Hydrogen production by autothermal methane steam reforming in a catalytic fixed bed membrane reactor has been analyzed and simulated. The two‐compartment reactor indirectly couples the endothermic steam reforming with methane oxidation, while hydrogen is separated by a permselective Pd membrane. Simulations of the reactor, using published kinetics, map the acceptable domain of operation and the optimal set of operating parameters. The simulations exhibit slow‐moving thermal fronts and the steady‐state operation domains bounded by stationary fronts, separating domains of upstream and downstream‐moving fronts. Front velocity depends on thermal coupling and hydrogen separation. An analytical approximation for the thermal front velocity in a thermally balanced reactor has been developed.