Diesel fuel pre-reforming into methane-hydrogen mixtures

The pre-reforming of diesel fuel combined with subsequent steam reforming of pre-reforming products integrated with membrane separation of hydrogen is the most promising way of obtaining pure hydrogen for fuel cells. Here, we consider the first part of this problem-diesel fuel pre-reforming. The following commercial nickel-containing catalysts have been tested in the pre-reforming reaction: NIAP-18 (Ni, 15 wt %; CaO, 8 wt %; Al2O3, 74.4 wt %), NIAP-12-05 (Ni, 48 wt %; Cr2O3, 27 wt %), NIAP-07-01 (NiO, 36 wt %), NIAP-07-05 (NiO, 38 wt %; Cr2O3, 12 wt %). A number of new pre-reforming catalysts based on manganese and cobalt compounds have also been examined. The tests have been carried out at pressures of 1, 6, and 15 atm, temperatures of 470–560°C, and gas hourly space velocities of 6000–12000 h−1. The experiments have demonstrated that the nickel-containing catalysts afford a near-equilibrium product composition, while the reaction over the catalysts based on manganese and cobalt compounds yields a nonequilibrium product composition. A mathematical model has been developed for diesel fuel pre-reforming in an adiabatic reactor with a fixed catalytic bed. Model parameters ranging from process kinetics to heat and mass transfer coefficients have been estimated. The results of modeling have been compared to experimental data available from the literature. The potential of the mathematical model has been illustrated by performing calculations for adiabatic reactors with various output capacities.