Modelling and simulation of two-bed PSA process for separating H2 from methane steam reforming

摘要

Methane steam reforming is the main hydrogen production method in the industry. The product of methane steam reforming contains H2, CH4, CO and CO2 and is then purified by pressure swing adsorption(PSA) technology. In this study, a layered two-bed PSA process was designed theoretically to purify H2 from methane steam reforming off gas. The effects of adsorption pressure, adsorption time and purgeto-feed ratio(P/F ratio) on process performance were investigated to design a PSA process with more than99.95% purity and 80% recovery. Since the feed composition of the PSA process changes with the upstream process, the effect of the feed composition on the process performance was discussed as well.The result showed that the increase of CH4 concentration, which was the weakest adsorbate, would have a negative impact on product purity.