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Effect of water on performance and sizing of fuel-processing reactors
Catalysis Today, 99 (3-4): 339-346 (2005)
Аннотация
Many analyses have been completed on the operating characteristics
of fuel processors as a function of fuel usage, power density and
specific power as related to efficiency. In addition, it is widely
recognized that depending on the fuel type, fuel processors will
either be net producers or consumers of water. This has led to theoretical
simulations to determine the maximum efficiency that can be achieved
given a processor's overall water balance. Moreover, the effect of
water for steam and autothermal reformers (ATR) has been investigated
to gain an understanding of how it will be influenced given the net
results of the system water balance. However, little attention has
been given to the effect of water on the reactors downstream of the
reformer. Furthermore, a simulation that incorporates the actual,
not only theoretical, operation of the reactors coupled with the
water balance issues has not been investigated until now. This paper
will report on the effect of water on the operation of the CO clean-up
train, including water-gas-shift (WGS) and preferential oxidation
(PROX) reactors, and its influence on the overall efficiency of the
processor system as compared to theoretical thermodynamic calculations.
The comparison illustrates that a purely thermodynamic simulation
can lead to a less efficient system design than could otherwise be
possible once actual reactor performance is included.
