HYSYDAYS
1st World Congress of Young Scientists on Hydrogen Energy Systems

ISBN Print: 1-56700-230-7

DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS VIA COMPUTER SIMULATION OF CATALYTIC MEMBRANE REACTOR FOR THE PRODUCTION OF PURE HYDROGEN IN FUEL CELLS APPLICATIONS

DOI: 10.1615/HYSYDAYS2005.110
pages 75-80

Résumé

In this work a mathematical model and a simulation of transient behaviour of a single stage hydrogen production-separation process for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell (FC) applications has been performed. Methanol reforming process occurs in a Catalytic Membrane Reactor (CMR) by REB Research & Consulting filled with a commercial ZnO − CuO, Alumina supported catalyst. Our Scope is to verify that for a wide range of operating conditions, reactor performance is kept at a sufficient level to produce enough hydrogen to feed the fuel cell, in conformity with manufacturer declarations, and also to provide a detailed description of transient behaviour during load regimes changes, start up and shut down of the system. This model can run with thermal energy balance equation to study an optimal heater tape wiring diagram in order to obtain a suitable temperature profile along the reactor. We obtain, with the use of the CMR, the coupling of production-separation steps for hydrogen at low working temperatures, were we already get almost full methanol conversion in the first part of the reactor.