Reformer microstructured methanol

Zhang XR, et al. A unique microwave effect on the microstructural modification of Cu/ZnO/Al2C>3 catalysts for steam reforming of methanol. Chem Commun. 2005(32) 4104-6. 

A large variety of catalysts for the steam reforming of methanol which include copper in their composition have been reported. " Commercial Cu/ZnO water-gas shift and methanol synthesis catalysts - have also been found to be active for the steam reforming reaction. Microstructural characteristics of the copper phase in Cu/ZnO catalysts depended on the aging time of the precipitate, resulting in changes in reducibility and crystallite size which produced an increase in the catalytic activity. Moreover,... 

Yu et al. [36] used metal foams as catalyst supports for a microstructured methanol reformer and investigated the infiuence of the foam material on the catalyst s selectivity and activity. Some electrically conducting materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) [37] are used as a foam as well as internal heating element, and the reactor can be heated very rapidly to temperatures in the range 800-1000 °C. Moreover, as a result of the high thermal conductivity of metal or SiC foams, axial and radial temperature profiles are minimized and nearly isothermal reactor operation is facihtated. 

Foams were proved to be highly suitable as catalytic carrier when low pressure drop is mandatory. In comparison to monoliths, they allow radial mixing of the fluid combined with enhanced heat transfer properties because of the solid continuous phase of the foam structure. Catalytic foams are successfully used for partial oxidation of hydrocarbons, catalytic combustion, and removal of soot from diesel engines [14]. The integration of foam catalysts in combination with microstructured devices was reported by Yu et al. [15]. The authors used metal foams as catalyst support for a microstructured methanol reformer and studied the influence of the foam material on the catalytic selectivity and activity. Moritz et al. [16] constructed a ceramic MSR with an inserted SiC-foam. The electric conductive material can be used as internal heating elements and allows a very rapid heating up to temperatures of 800-1000°C. In addition, heat conductivity of metal or SiC foams avoids axial and radial temperature profiles facilitating isothermal reactor operation. 

Delsman et al. investigated the advantages of a microstructured methanol reformer coupled with a catalytic burner for anode off-gas over a conventional fixed-bed system [36]. Two ranges of electrical power output of the corresponding fuel processor-fuel cell system were considered, namely 100 W and 5kW. The calculations revealed a more than 50% lower reactor size and more than 30% less catalyst mass required for the microreactor in case of the 100 W system. For the 5 kW system, the reactor volume was only 30% lower, but the catalyst savings were up to 50%. 

V. Hessel, C. Ziegler, Parallel screening of Cu/Ce02/y-Al203 for steam reforming of methanol in a 10-channel microstructured reactor, Catal. Commun. 2004, 5, 671-675. 

Pfeifer, P., Fichtner, M., Schubert, K., Liauw, M. A., Emig, G., Microstructured catalysts for methanol-steam reforming, in Ehrfeld, W. (Ed.), Microreaction Technology 3rd International Conference on Microreaction Technology, Proc. ofIMRET 3, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2000, 372-382. 

Kurr P, et al. Microstructural characterization of Cu/Zn0/Al203 catalysts for methanol steam reforming - a comparative study. Appl Catal A Gen. 2008 348(2) 153-64. 

Gunter et al. (2001) XAS, TGA Cu/ZnO Microstructure of activated copper nanoparticles, detection of strain + n.a Methanol synthesis/ steam reforming... 

P. Reuse, Production dTiydrogene dans un reacteur microstructure. Couplage themi-que entre le steam reforming et l oxydation totale du methanol, Ecole polytechnique federate de Lausanne, Lausanne, 2003. 

Reuse et al. [16] applied a self-developed reactor carrying microstructured plates for the determination of methanol steam reforming kinetics over a commercial copper-based low-temperature water gas shift catalyst from Siid-Cliemie. Kinetic expressions were determined for both a tubular fixed-bed reactor containing 30 mg of catalyst particles and the microreactor coated with the catalyst particles. A power law... 

M. A. Liauw, G. Emig, Methanol-steam reforming in microstructures difference between palladium and copper catalysts and testing of reactors for 200 W fuel cell power, in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Microreaction Technology, IMRET 6, New Orleans, 11-14 March 2002, AIChE Publication No. 164, 2002, pp. 125-130. 

Figure 4.4 Comparison between calculated temperature profiles for methanol steam reforming in fixed-bed and microstructured reactors.

Pfeifer et al. used a stack-like reactor heated by cartridges for methanol steam reforming [180]. The aim of this work was a microstructured reformer supplying a 200-W fuel cell for small scale mobile applications. To highlight the dynamic... 

Several microstructured, but no longer microscaled, reactors were developed for methanol steam reforming in the power range of a few hundred watts. Owing to the relatively low activity of the copper /zinc oxide catalyst applied, the size of the reactors was considerable. 

An integrated microstructured 5-kW combined methanol steam reformer/catalyt-ic combustor was fabricated and the results were presented by Hermann et al, from GM/OPEL [515]. The specifications for the reactor and a future 50-kW fuel processor system were fairly ambitious. Amongst others ... 

Schuessler et al. [398] used sintering of copper and alurninium powder to form microstructured plates for their integrated autothermal methanol reformer (see Section 9.1). The powders were compressed before sintering at a pressure of 1000 bar, which provided plate-type elements for assembly. The sintering of the copper was then performed at temperatures between 500 and 700 °C, which bonded the plates to a stack-hke reactor. 

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