TECHNO-ECONOMIC PROSPECTS OF MEMBRANE REACTORS IN A FUTURE HYDROGEN-DRIVEN TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

摘要

The membrane reactor (MR) is a novel technology for the production of hydrogen from natural gas. It promises economic small-scale hydrogen production and has the potential of inexpensive CO_2 separation. The membrane reactor is modelled with Aspen~(plus) and its economics are calculated on a component cost basis. The well-to-wheel chain of the MR is then compared to centralised steam reforming to assess the trade-off between a hydrogen and a CO_2 infrastructure. The MR is competitive with conventional technology provided that thin membranes (several micrometers) with high stability can be produced. The modelling results also indicate that by using a sweep gas, the MR can produce a reformer exit stream consisting mainly of CO_2 and H_2O ( > 90%_(mol)) and thus promises a cheap method of CO_2 separation. If the scale of centralised hydrogen production is not very large ( < 40 MW), the trade-off is favourable for the MR with small-scale CO_2 capture.