(571f) Small Scale H2 Production Via Sorption Enhanced Chemical Looping Steam Reforming of Methane in an Adiabatic Packed Bed Reactor

In this work, the production of H₂ via sorption enhanced chemical looping steam reforming (SE-CLSR) of CH₄ in an adiabatic packed bed reactor is modelled. The overall model is divided into the sub-models of the fuel reactor (FR) and air reactor (AR), representing the reactor operating under fuel and steam feed, and the reactor operating under air or O₂-enriched air stream, respectively. This may apply to a single reactor with alternating feed streams, or to several reactors operated with staggered feeds, like PSA reactors or regenerative heat exchangers. The equilibrium results for the SE-CLSR reactor under the various operating conditions of temperature, pressure, steam to carbon ratio (S/C), CaO/C and NiO/C are generated using chemical equilibrium with application (CEA) software. The thermodynamic results for the steam methane reforming (SMR), sorption enhanced steam methane reforming (SE-SMR) and SE-CLSR processes are compared in terms of CH₄ conversion, H₂ yield, H₂ purity and CO₂ capturing efficiency. The sensitivity of the developed reactor model is studied under the low pressure (1 – 10 bar) conditions for a small scale H₂ production. It is concluded that 3 bar, 873 K and S/C of 3.0 gives an optimum value of 92% CH₄ conversion and H₂ purity of 95% compared to 36% and 59% in the conventional reforming process.