Hydrogen reforming process

The use of bio-fuels as a fuel in fuel cells has been relatively poorly explored. A few results have been obtained from simulations and experiments for SOFC in [31 0]. The main consideration in these studies of bio-fuel is bio-gas from sewage or gasifier. In many cases, bio-fuel is subjected to hydrogen reforming processes [41,42], and only hydrogen is supplied to the cells. Theoretical analysis [43] was also carried out with regard to reforming of bio-fuel for a phosphoric acid fuel ceU (PAFC). 

Some of ihe carbon monoxide and hydrogen produced in ihe steam-naphtha reforming process react to form methane ... 

Natural gas is by far the preferred source of hydrogen. It has been cheap, and its use is more energy efficient than that of other hydrocarbons. The reforming process that is used to produce hydrogen from natural gas is highly developed, environmental controls are simple, and the capital investment is lower than that for any other method. Comparisons of the total energy consumption (fuel and synthesis gas), based on advanced technologies, have been discussed elsewhere (102). 

Mixtures of CO—H2 produced from hydrocarbons, as shown in the first two of these reactions, ate called synthesis gas. Synthesis gas is a commercial intermediate from which a wide variety of chemicals are produced. A principal, and frequendy the only source of hydrogen used in refineries is a by-product of the catalytic reforming process for making octane-contributing components for gasoline (see Gasoline and OTHER MOTOR fuels), eg. 

Steam Reforming Processes. In the steam reforming process, light hydrocarbon feedstocks (qv), such as natural gas, Hquefied petroleum gas, and naphtha, or in some cases heavier distillate oils are purified of sulfur compounds (see Sulfurremoval and recovery). These then react with steam in the presence of a nickel-containing catalyst to produce a mixture of hydrogen, methane, and carbon oxides. Essentially total decomposition of compounds containing more than one carbon atom per molecule is obtained (see Ammonia Hydrogen Petroleum). 

The catalyst is then transferred back to the first process reactor and is reheated to the reforming process temperature at the reactor inlet using a flow of hydrogen-rich process recycle gas, thereby achieving reduction of the platinum to a catalyticaUy active state. 

Since the reforaiing of CH4 produces 1 mole of CO for each 2 moles of H2, the dominant heat effect in the reduction process is the endothermic reduction by hydrogen. However, since the reforming process is canied out with ah as the source of oxygen, the heat content of the nitrogen component is a drermal reservoir for die overall reduction process. 

These various fractions are processed further into additional products. These value-added operations generally involve chemical transformations often using catalysts. They include cracking, hydrogenation, reforming, isomerization, and polymerization. The main output from these processes is fuels and petrochemicals. 

The catalytic steam-reforming process of methanol on Cu/ZnO/Ab03 catalyst primarily produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide. In addition, the minor quantities of carbon monoxide are also produced. This mechanism is explained in terms of parallel reactions [11]. 

Low energy pulsed (LEP) discharge is a simple hydrogen production process. This novel technique requires neither high temperature nor pressure die reaction takes place at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. We have successftilly reformed hydrocarbons using this LEP dischai e [1-6]. 

Discuss the importance of the steam-reforming process for the production of hydrogen and synthesis gas. Is this process endothermic or exothermic What is the rate-limiting step for the steam reforming of methane ... 

Here we shall have a closer look at the steam reforming process, which is used in large-scale industrial production of syn-gas and hydrogen. 

Fuel reforming is popular way for hydrogen production for fuel cell use. Hydrocarbons are used for the fuel resource. Methane (CH4) steam reforming process consists of the following two gas phase reactions with various catalysts. 

In technical hydrocarbon reforming processes using platinum catalysts, high hydrogen pressures are usually used to inhibit catalyst poisoning and coke formation as far as possible, for instance a total pressure of several atmospheres to several tens of atmospheres, with a several-fold excess of hydrogen in the reactant mixture. 

Catalytic reformers. Catalytic reforming is an important step to improve the quality of gasoline. During the reforming process, naphthens are dehydrogenated to aromatics. As a representative example, hydrogen is produced by cyclohexane dehydrogenation to benzene as follows ... 

This reaction is endothermic and is favored by low pressure. In practice, however, the process is conducted at a pressure of 1-3 MPa (because of a concurrent hydrocracking reaction) and a temperature of 300-450°C using Pt-based catalysts [7]. The feedstock for the reforming process must be carefully purified from S- and N-compounds (below 1 ppm), which may use up a significant portion of hydrogen produced. The typical composition of the off-gas from the catalytic reforming of naphtha is as follows (vol%) H2—82, CH4—7, C2—5, C3—4, and C4—2 [7]. 

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