A Computational Analysis of a Methanol Steam Reformer Using Phase Change Heat Transfer

Hyemin Song, Younghyeon Kim, Dongjin Yu, Byoung Jae Kim, Hyunjin Ji and Sangseok Yu
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Hyemin Song: Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Younghyeon Kim: Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Dongjin Yu: Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Byoung Jae Kim: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea
Hyunjin Ji: Agency for Defense Development, Yuseong P.O.Box 35-44, Daejeon 305-600, Korea
Sangseok Yu: School of Mechanical Engineering, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehangno, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Korea

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: A methanol steam reformer converts methanol and steam into a hydrogen-rich mixture through an endothermic reaction. The methanol reformer is divided into a reaction section and a heat supply section that transfers thermal energy from 200 to 300 °C. This study presents the behavior of the methanol steam reforming reaction using the latent heat of the steam. A numerical analysis was separately conducted for two different regimes assuming constant heat flux conditions. A methanol steam reformer is an annulus structure that has a phase change heat transfer from an outer tube to an inner tube. Different from the steam zone temperature in the tube, the latent heat of steam condensation decreases, and there is a gradual between-wall temperature decrease along the longitudinal direction. Since the latent heat of steam condensation is very sensitive to the requested heat from the reformer, it is necessary to consider a refined design of a methanol reformer to obtain a large enough amount of heat by steam condensation.

Keywords: computational analysis; high-pressure methanol steam reformer; phase change heat transfer; high pressure steam condensation; hydrogen production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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