Application of catalytic microchannel systems to enhance processes for hydrogen generation from hydrocarbon feedstock

In the early 1990’s, the progress in modern microelectronic technologies gave an impetus to studies of specific behavior of microchannel systems in various physicochemical processes. The microchannel systems were shown, with heat exchangers, mixers and microchannel reactors (microreactors) as examples, to intensify all the processes in the microchannels. In the present review paper, principal criteria, that make possible to classify a flow system as the microchannel one, are discussed. Three main catalytic processes – steam conversion, partial oxidation and autothermal conversion of light hydrocarbons and alcohols into hydrogen-containing gas – are considered and analyzed. It is shown with methane and methanol as examples that the process of hydrogen generation is enhanced indeed in the microreactor. In steam conversion of methanol catalyzed by Zn/TiO2 at 450 °C, the specific hydrogen productivity per catalyst weight was as high as 78,6 L/(h·gcat), the outlet quantity of carbon monoxide being no more than 1 mol.%. In partial oxidation of methane over catalyst La0,2Zr0,4Ce0,4/LaNiPt (0,48 g) in a microreactor at 700 °C, the specific hydrogen productivity was 521 L/(h·gcat) per catalyst weight and 42 L/(h·cm3) per reaction zone volume. When so, the thermal capacity (heat generated at hydrogen combustion) is 117 kW for the microreactor with 1,0 dm3 reaction volume that is comparable to the power of the gasoline engine of a modern vehicle. Hydrogen production from bioethanol, gasoline and diesel fuel also seems promising. Inspection of relevant literature in the field demonstrated that these fuels can compete successfully with methanol and methane, even though the catalytic conversion proceeds at temperatures 650 °C or higher. Results obtained in developing fuel cell – catalytic generators of hydrogen-containing gas with a low content of carbon monoxide (less than 20 ppm) – are reported in the last Section. Integrated microchannel systems are shown to be the most promising fuel cells.

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