Heating and cooling of an aluminium-cased parallel flow microreactor for steam-methane reforming

摘要

A prototype aluminium microreactor for steam methane reforming process to produce hydrogen syngas, with parallel flow microchannels was developed. The microreactor was heated up to 400˚C using a Bunsen burner at distance of 10mm below it surface. Whereby two condition of burner open flow which are 1/3 and 2/3 took place in order to investigate its heating effect on outlet stream temperature. From the results, show that both Bunsen burner flow slightly show the same tendency of increasing and decreasing state, which indicated the optimum point of heat transfer to the systems for a cycle. But, the 2/3 opening Bunsen burner flow give the reliable contact reaction time at minimum operating condition of 400 ˚C and 1 bar compare to 1/3 opening. This is due to its ability for lays above the set temperature point with longest duration time. From this results can conclude that, the relationship between contact flame area and microreactor surface on outlet flow temperature had been developed. The outlet stream temperature is proportional to the Bunsen burner opening, based on biggest area of flame contact yield the highest optimum temperature point with longest reaction time