A study of the transport phenomena in a wall-coated micro steam-methanol reformer

Microreactors have important advantages due to the increased heat and mass transfer resulting from the small dimensions of the system. This results in enhanced performance and efficiency. Microreformers with wall-coated or suspended catalytic layer configurations have been studied due to their lower transport resistances compared to packed-bed microreformers. In the present work, a theoretical study of the reacting flow in a wall-coated microreformer is carried out. The theoretical results for the conversions and carbon monoxide concentration of wall-coated reformers are compared with the reported experimental data. The effects of important parameters for wall-coated reformers such as the catalyst layer thickness, wall temperature, and the flow velocity of the reactants are studied. Recommendations for the design of micro wall-coated reformers are provided. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.