Simulation of five-step one-bed sorption-enhanced reaction process

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2002

Authors

Xiu, GH (Author) Other; Soares, JL (Author) Other; Li, P (Author) Other; Alírio Rodrigues (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: AICHE Journal

Vol. 48

Pages: 2817-2832

ISSN: 0001-1541

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 53 Citations

Scopus - 56 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-000-M3W

DOI: 10.1002/aic.690481210

Abstract (EN): A five-step, one-bed, sorption-enhanced reaction process proposed by Carvill et al. in 1996 for hydrogen production by steam - methane reforming was analyzed. For the simulated results of the first step, data from Hufton et al. (1999) and Ding and Alpay (2000) for a fixed-bed column of an admixture of a catalyst and a sorbent that selectively removes CO2 from the reaction zone were used. The sorbent is periodically regenerated by using the principles of pressure-swing adsorption. The process steps allow direct production of hydrogen with high purity and high methane conversion. A model considering multicomponent and overall mass balance, Ergun relation for pressure drop, energy balance for the bed-volume element, and nonlinear adsorption equilibrium isotherm coupled with three main reactions was derived to describe the sorption-enhanced reaction cyclic process. Two different isotherms were used under wet and dry conditions. The LDF model adopted describes the mass-transfer rate of CO2 in the adsorbent. Numerical solution of model equations for the cyclic process was obtained by the orthogonal collocation method. The operating conditions allow the combination of a sufficiently high purity of hydrogen (average purity over 80%) with traces of CO and CO2, high methane conversion, fast adsorbent regeneration, and cyclic steady-state operation. The model predictions agree reasonably with the literature data. The package is suitable for the design and analysis of sorption-enhanced reaction process.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 16