Combined pre-reformer/reformer system utilizing monolith catalysts for hydrogen production

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>The pre-reforming of higher hydrocarbon, propane, was performed to generate hydrogen from LPG without carbon deposition on the catalysts. A Ru/Ni/MgAl<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> metallic monolith catalyst was employed to minimize the pressure drop over the catalyst bed. The propane pre-reforming reaction conditions for the complete conversion of propane with no carbon formation were identified to be the following: space velocities over 2400 h<SUP>−1</SUP> and temperatures between 400 and 450 °C with a H<SUB>2</SUB>O/<I>C</I> <SUB>1</SUB> ratio of 3. The combined pre-reformer and the main reformer system with the Ru/Ni/MgAl<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> metallic monolith catalyst was employed to test the conversion propane to syngas where the reaction heat was provided by catalytic combustors. Propane was converted in the pre-reformer to 52.5% H<SUB>2</SUB>, 27.0% CH<SUB>4</SUB>, 17.5% CO, and 3.0% CO<SUB>2</SUB> with a 331 °C inlet temperature and a 482 °C catalyst outlet temperature. The main steam reforming reactor converted the methane from the pre-reformer with a conversion of higher than 99.0% with a 366 °C inlet temperature and an 824 °C catalyst outlet temperature. With a total of 912 cc of the Ru/Ni/MgAl<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> metallic monolith catalyst in the main reformer, the H<SUB>2</SUB> production from the propane reached an average of 3.25 Nm<SUP>3</SUP>h<SUP>−1</SUP> when the propane was fed at 0.4 Nm<SUP>3</SUP>h<SUP>−1</SUP>.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P>► A Ru-doped Ni/MgAl<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> catalyst washcoated on the metallic monolith in reforming. ► A combined unit of a pre-reformer/reformer at a pilot scale of 5 kWe-class reformer. ► The endothermic reaction heat was supplied by a combustion reactor with Pd catalyst. ► In the reformer, the methane conversion was higher than 99.0% at 824 °C ► Total H<SUB>2</SUB> production rate was about 3.25 Nm<SUP>3</SUP>h<SUP>−1</SUP> with the propane fed at 0.4 Nm<SUP>3</SUP>h<SUP>−1</SUP>.</P>