Permeative-stage membrane reactors

Figure 11.3 Scheme of the permeative-stage membrane reactor (PSMR) considered, after Caravella et al ... 

Membrane Reactor Technologies Ltd (MRT) has experimentally verified the permeative-stage membrane reactor concept. With the membranes outside the reaetor, operation at more favorable conditions for both reaction (750 °C) and membrane separation (450 °C or lower) is possible. A decrease in the metal cost of palladium-based membranes by 86.5% and membrane area by >70% to aehieve equal hydrogen production capacity was reported. The volume of reformer decreases accordingly, thus, the costs of both the reactor and membrane module are reduced. 

A reformer and membrane module system (RMM) (permeative-stage membrane reactor) with 20 N m h of hydrogen capacity has been designed... 

A. Caravella, F. P. Di Maio and A. Di Renzo, Optimization of membrane area and catalyst distribution in a permeative-stage membrane reactor for methane steam reforming, J. Membr. Sci., 2008, 321, 209-221. 

Caravella et al. (2008) PBMR - ID - Nonisothermal conditions - Plug flow - Membrane completely selective toward H2 permeation - Ergun s equation - Xu and Froment (1989a) The paper pointed out that the reactive/permeative stage distribution has to be considered an important reactor design parameter. 

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