Reforming small scale

Coal via reforming Small-scale natural gas Electrolysis using nuclear electricity Electrolysis using photovoltaic electricity Electrolysis using wind electricity Wood reforming... 

A growing number of research groups are active in the field. The activity of reforming catalysts has been improved and a number of test reactors for fuel partial oxidation, reforming, water-gas shift, and selective oxidation reactions were described however, hardly any commercial micro-channel reformers have been reported. Obviously, the developments are still inhibited by a multitude of technical problems, before coming to commercialization. Concerning reformer developments with small-scale, but not micro-channel-based reformers, the first companies have been formed in the meantime (see, e.g., ) and reformers of large capacity for non-stationary household applications are on the market. 

It is possible to increase the efficiency to over 85% with an economic profit at higher thermal integration. There are two types of steam reformers for small-scale hydrogen production conventional reduced-scale reformers and specially designed reformers for fuel cells. 

In addition to the activity, other important requirements for the catalyst are the capability to start the reaction rapidly without the necessity for previous reduction with hydrogen and to perform effectively with intermittent operation these are essential properties for the catalyst in reformers, especially for portable and small-scale stationary fuel cell applications. In this respect, Dias and Assaf [61] focused on the potential of Pd, Pt and Ir to promote fast and intermittent ignition of methane ATR in Ni/y-Al203. They concluded that the three metals are very good promoters of the reduction of the nickel catalyst with methane, but the lower cost of palladium makes this metal more suitable than Pt and Ir for small fuel cells. 

Experimental results concerning the development of a small-scale 1 kW autothermal reformer of propane were reported by Rampe et al. [76]. In the proposed reactor, two reactions occur on a metal honeycomb structure coated with platinum. Air and water are mixed before they are fed to the reactor in counterflow to the product gas outside the reactor wall, where the water is vaporized and the steam and air are heated up. Then, they are mixed with propane at the bottom of the reactor. It was verified that the preheating operation mode led to about a 4% higher efficiency, since the higher inlet air temperature causes a higher temperature level in the reaction zone, resulting in improved kinetics of the reforming reaction. 

Heinzel et al. [77] compared the performance of a natural gas autothermal reformer with that of a steam reformer. The ATR reactor was loaded with a Pt catalyst on a metallic substrate followed by a fixed bed of Pt catalyst. In the start-up phase, the metallic substrate was electrically heated until the catalytic combustion of a stoichiometric methane-air mixture occurred. The reactor temperature was increased by the heat of the combustion reaction and later water was added to limit the temperature rise in the catalyst, while the air flow was reduced to sub-stoichiometric settings. With respect to the steam reformer, the behavior of the ATR reactor was more flexible regarding the start-up time and the load change, thus being more suitable for small-scale stationary applications. 

The University of Queensland in Australia conducts general R D to support MCFC systems as part of a project to develop advanced system integration techniques and catalysts for internal reforming fuels cells. The aim is to enable a wide range of fuels to be used with MCFCs for small scale stationary applications suitable for remote areas in Australia. 

Small-scale local hydrogen production, based on either electrolysis or gas reformation, thus utilising existing electricity or gas distribution infrastructure. 

In this paper, we summarize results from a small scale methane direct oxidation reactor for residence times between lO and lO seconds. For this work, methane oxidation (using air or oxygen) was studied over Pt-10% Rh gauze catalysts and Pt- and Rh-coated foam and extruded monoliths at atmospheric pressure, and the reactor was operated autothermally rather than at thermostatically controlled catalyst temperatures. By comparing the steady-state performance of these different catalysts at such short contact times, tiie direct oxidation of methane to synthesis gas can be examined independent of the slower reforming reactions. 

Platinum on alumina reforming catalysts are commonly used commercially in the form of cylindrical pellets about X i in. in size, since this is about the smallest size acceptable from the standpoint of avoiding excessive pressure drop. For fundamental studies in small-scale reactors, where pressure drop limitations are less severe, it may be preferable to use the catalyst in the form of small granules to minimize diffusional limitations. 

Environmental Protection Issues of 1996 required closure of 15 types of small-scale enterprises. The 2005 Guiding Catalog of Industrial Structure Adjustment issued by the State Development and Reform Commission classified more than 1,000 specific industries into categories of support, limitation, and phaseout. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were classified into the limitation or phase-out categories. 

Distributed hydrogen production via small-scale reforming is less costly than centralized production. Distributed hydrogen production would be attractive especially in the early stages of a hydrogen economy. Hydrogen could be provided where it was needed, allowing supply to match demand. 

Copper and aluminum are alternative metals for low-temperature processes such as alcohol reforming [22, 85] and gas purification. The higher heat conductivity of these metals (401 and 236 W m-1 K-1), respectively, compared with stainless steel (ca. 15 W nf1 KT1) makes them attractive, in case isothermal conditions are required, which may well be the case for evaporators or reactors with heat-exchanging capabilities. On the other hand, the efficiency of small-scale counter-flow heat... 

Many potential applications are under study. Miniature chemical reactors could be used for portable applications in which they provide advantages of rapid startup and shutdown and of increased safety (intensification by requiring only small quantities of hazardous materials). The development of chip-scale chemical and biological analysis systems has the potential to reduce the time and cost associated with conventional laboratory methods. These devices could be used as portable analysis systems for detection of hazardous chemicals in air and water. There is considerable interest in using a microreactor to provide in situ production of hydrogen for small-scale fuel-cell power applications by conducting a reformation reaction from some liquid hydrocarbon raw material (e.g., methanol). 

Catalytic polymerization is practical on both large and small scales and is adaptable to combination with reforming to increase the quality of the... 

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