Engineering Aspects of Designing the Components in a MicroChannel Fuel Processor

摘要

Comparison of a tubular reforming reactor with a microchannel reactor indicates that a microchannel design offers enhanced thermal transfer and therefore facilitates the steam reforming reaction. A simulation study showed that with proper temperature management, CO conversion in a water gas shift reactor increases as reactor size decreases. Uniquely engineered steam reforming and water gas shift catalysts were developed to allow the application of microchannel technology in a fuel processor. A comparison of test results indicates that the engineered catalyst in a microchannel environment provides methane and diesel steam reforming performance that exceeds that of a granulate catalyst in a conventional tubular reactor.