Journal of Applied Science and Engineering

Published by Tamkang University Press

ESCI jase impact factor scopus logo open access rate of Scopus journal

Multi-objective Optimization of Mixed Membrane Reactors for Autothermal Reforming of Methane

 2018

 Volume 21, Issue 3

Hsuan Chang, Yih-Hung Chen, Yun-Tsz Chen, Chii-Dong Ho

Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Tamkang University, Tamsui, Taiwan 251, R.O.C.

Received: December 18, 2017
Accepted: March 9, 2018
Publication Date: August 16, 2018

上傳圖片

Schematic illustrations of (a) membrane reactor (MR) and (b) mixed membrane reactor (MMR) for autothermal reforming (ATR) of methane.

 Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.

Download Citation:  BibTeX | http://dx.doi.org/10.6180/jase.201809_21(3).0020  

Download PDF

Autothermal reforming (ATR) of methane, which supplies the heat for endothermic steam reforming by internal combustion of methane, is an important process for synthetic gas production. The axial-distributed feeding of oxygen via a packed bed inert membrane reactor (MR) can reduce the peak temperature and improve the reactor performance. A modified MR, called mixed membrane reactor (MMR), combines permeable membrane tube wall and non-permeable tube wall provides extra degrees of freedom for reactor design and operation. For MR and MMR, this study presents the ternary-objective optimization analysis for maximizing hydrogen production rate, non-combustion selectivity and conversion of methane, using a 1D pseudo-homogeneous reactor model and the NSGA-II algorithm. Compared to MR, MMR can be operated under significantly higher oxygen permeation flux without violating the maximum temperature constraint. The non-combustion selectivity and conversion of methane of MR and MMR are close, however, the hydrogen production rate of MMR can be as high as 200% of MR.

Keywords: Methane Reforming; Membrane Reactor; Mixed Membrane Reactor; Multi-objective Optimization

  1. [1] Ulber, D., “A Guide to Methane Reforming,” Chemical Engineering, January, pp. 40-46 (2015).
  2. [2] Rice, S. F. and Mann, D. P., Autothermal Reforming of Natural Gas to Synthesis Gas, SAND2007-2331, Sandia National Laboratories, U.S. Department of Commerce (2007).
  3. [3] Marcano, J. G. S. and Tsotsis, T. T., Catalytic Membranes and Membrane Reactors, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim Germany (2002).
  4. [4] Coronas, J. and Santamaria, J., “Catalytic Reactors Based on Porous Ceramic Membranes,” Catalysis Today, Vol. 51, pp. 377-389 (1999). doi: 10.1016/S0920-5861(99)00090-5
  5. [5] Rodríguez, M. L., Ardissone, D. E., Opez, E. L., Pedernera, M. N. and Borio, D. O., “Reactor Designs for Ethylene Production via Ethane Oxidative Dehydrogenation: Comparison of Performance,” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 50, pp. 2690-2697 (2011). doi: 10.1021/ie100738q
  6. [6] Rodriguez, M. L., Pedernera, M. N. and Borio, D. O., “Two Dimensional Modeling of a Membrane Reactor for ATR of Methane,” Catalysis Today, Vol. 193, pp. 137-144 (2012). doi: 10.1016/j.cattod.2012.04.010
  7. [7] Coronas, J., Menéndez, M. and Santamaría, J., “Use of a Ceramic Membrane Reactor for the Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethylene and Higher Hydrocarbons,” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 34, pp. 4229-4234 (1995). doi: 10.1021/ie00039a011
  8. [8] Ávila-Neto, C. N., Dantas, S. C., Silva, F. A., Franco, T. V., Romanielo, L. L., Hori, C. E. and Assis, A. J., “Hydrogen Production from Methane Reforming: Thermodynamic Assessment and Autothermal Reactor Design,” Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, Vol. 1, pp. 205-215 (2009). doi: 10.1016/j.jngse.2009.12.003
  9. [9] Sinaei Nobandegani, M., Sardashti Birjandi, M. R., Darbandi, T., Khalilipour, M. M., Shahraki, F. and Mohebbi-Kalhori, D., “An Industrial Steam Methane Reformer Optimization Using Response Surface Methodology,” Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, Vol. 36, pp. 540-549 (2016). doi: 10.1016/j.jngse.2016.10.031
  10. [10] Shahhosseini, H. R., Farsi, M. and Eini, S., “Multi-objective Optimization of Industrial Membrane SMR to Produce Syngas for Fischer-Tropsch Production Using NSGA-II and Decision Makings,” Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, Vol. 32, pp. 222-238 (2016). doi: 10.1016/j.jngse.2016.04.005
  11. [11] Deb, K., Patap, A., Agarwal, S. and Meyarivan, T., “A Fast and Elitist Multiobjective Genetic Algorithm: NSGA-II,” IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation, Vol. 6, pp. 182-197 (2002). doi: 10.1109/4235.996017
  12. [12] De Groote, A. M. and Froment, G. F., “Simulation of the Catalytic Partial Oxidation of Methane to Synthesis Gas,” Applied Catalysis A: General, Vol. 138, pp. 245-264 (1996). doi: 10.1016/0926-860X(95)00299-5
  13. [13] Ergun, S., “Fluid Flow through Packed Columns,” Chem. Eng. Prog., Vol. 48, pp. 89-94 (1952).
  14. [14] Xu, J. and Froment, G. F., “Methane Steam Reforming, Methanation and Water-gas Shift: I. Intrinsic Kinetics,” AIChE Journal, Vol. 35, pp. 88-96 (1989). doi: 10.1002/aic.690350109
  15. [15] Mallada, R., Pedernera, M., Menéndez, M. and Santamaria, J., “Synthesis of Maleic Anhydride in an Inert Membrane Reactor. Effect of Reactor Configuration,” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 39, pp. 620-625 (2000). doi: 10.1021/ie9905310
  16. [16] Pedernera, M., Mallada, R., Menéndez, M. and Santamaria, J., “Simulation of an Inert Membrane Reactor for the Synthesis of Maleic Anhydride,” AICHE Journal, Vol. 46, pp. 2489-2498 (2000). doi: 10.1002/aic.690461215
  17. [17] Rodriguez, M. L., Ardissone, D. E., Lemonidou, A. A., Heracleous, E., López, E., Pedernera, M. N. and Borio, D. O., “Simulation of a Membrane Reactor for the Catalytic Oxidehydrogenation of Ethane,” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 48, pp. 1090-1095 (2009). doi: 10.1021/ie800564v
  18. [18] Froment, G. F. and Bischoff, K. B., Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design, Wiley, New York, USA (1990).