DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL REACTOR SYSTEM WITH COATING CATALYSTS FOR THE AUTOTHERMAL REFORMING OF METHANE

摘要

Methane reforming is important for GTL process [1-3], in which methane from natural gas is converted to synthesis gas. It is possible to utilize methane from coal bed, biogas, hydrate, and so on. Autothermal reforming (ATR) is one of the most promising processes for producing synthesis gas from methane. In this process, methane is burned partially by oxygen without catalyst to heat up the reaction mixture (steam, CO_2, and unreacted CH_4), and then it is converted to synthesis gas over a reforming catalyst. However, the problem of the present ATR system is that heat efficiency is not so high because methane oxidation zone and methane reforming zone, in other words, heat production zone and heat utilization zone are separated to avoid the hot spot formation in the catalyst bed.