Numerical analysis and experimental study of hydrogen production from dimethyl ether steam reforming

An experimental and theoretical study of steam reforming of dimethyl ether was carried out in a processor for fuel cell vehicles to explore the effect of temperature gradient and hydrogen content of the processor. A steady-state, laminar, two-dimensional axi-symmetric model was proposed to investigate the fluid flow, heat transfer and chemical reactions in the dimethyl ether steam reforming processor using porous medium approach. The numerical model was established with Star-CD program using SIMPLE algorithm and finite volume method. Experimental verification of the two-dimensional mathematical model was conducted. The numerical results coincided well with the experimental data. The effects of the parameters on the temperature gradient and hydrogen content of the processor were studied using the numerical model.