Sorption-Enhanced methane steam reforming in a circulating fluidized bed reactor system

A 1m high circulating fluidized bed reactor, comprising of two bubbling bed reactors connected via two loop seals and a riser, has been built for performing experiments on sorption enhanced steam methane reforming. In this system steam reforming of methane is carried out catalytically with a CO2 sorbent co-present in one reactor. Regeneration is carried out in the other reactor. The catalyst used is a 60 wt.% Ni/NiAl2O3 and the sorbent is calcined dolomite. The formed CO2 reacts with the sorbent producing a solid carbonate and the sorbent free thermodynamically equilibriums are surpassed leading to a more concentrated hydrogen stream effluent. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.