• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.375-381
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• 2010

In this paper, the heat-transfer characteristics of steam reforming in an annular reactor are presented. Heat is supplied by the catalytic combustion of syn-gas. The thermal behaviors of exothermic and endothermic reactions in a directly coupled concentric-tube packed-bed reactor were investigated experimentally. The gas mixture supplied for catalytic combustion consisted of the off-gas emitted from MCFC anode. Methane in steam at a suitable S/C (steam-to-carbon) ratio was used in the reforming reactions. On the basis of the experimental results, a simple simulation was performed to predict the temperature profile required in the reforming side of the reactor to achieve optimum hydrogen yield. The results of this study may be utilized as reference data in future studies for further development of coupled reactors.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.641-648
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• 2011

Off-gases emitted from the anode of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) at high temperatures for power generation are used as fuel in catalytic combustion. The heat generated in the catalytic combustor is utilized as the heat for the endothermic reaction required for steam reforming. Among the various operational conditions of the integrated reactor, we varied the inlet gas compositions of the catalytic combustor according to fuel utilization in the MCFC and the ratio of steam to carbon in the reformer. Subsequently, the thermal behaviors and reaction characteristics of the integrated reactor were investigated experimentally. The fundamental data from this experimental study will be useful for the design and fabrication of a more practical integrated reactor in the future.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2012

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) is studied in its application in a high-temperature stationary power plant. Even though PSOFCs with external reformers are designed for application from the distributed power source to the central power plant, such PSOFCs may sacrifice more system efficiency than internally reformed SOFCs. In this study, modeling of the PSOFC with an external reformer was developed to analyze the feasibility of thermal energy utilization for the external reformer. The PSOFC system model includes the stack, reformer, burner, heat exchanger, blower, pump, PID controller, 3-way valve, reactor, mixer, and steam separator. The model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment with Thermolib$^{(R)}$ modules. The model was used to study the system performance according to its configuration. Three configurations of the SOFC system were selected for the comparison of the system performance. The system configuration considered the cathode recirculation, thermal sources for the external reformer, heat-up of operating gases, and condensate anode off-gas for the enhancement of the fuel concentration. The simulation results show that the magnitude of the electric efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 2 is 12.13% higher than that for Case 1 (reference case), and the thermal efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 3 is 76.12%, which is the highest of all the cases investigated.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.543-549
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• 1997

The direct reaction of carbon dioxide($CO_2$) with butane($C_4H_{10}$) to obtain synthesis gas and hydrocarbon compounds have been studied on nickel loaded catalysts. In the reaction of $CO_2$ with $C_4H_{10}$, Ni loaded catalysts showed similar activity with Pt catalyst and Coke deposition on the catalyst was severe by dehydrogenation of butane. The main products were carbon monoxide and hydrogen, when alumina and Y type zeolite were used as a support. Instead, a great deal of aromatic hydrocarbons were obtained on the Ni loaded ZSM-5 catalyst. The conversion of $CO_2$ increased with the increasing molar ratio of $CO_2$/$C_4H_{10}$ on Ni/ZSM-5, Ni/NaY and Ni/alumina catalyst, but the conversion decreased again from the ratio of 2. The value of $CO_2$ conversion was the highest at the 5wt% of Ni loading on ZSM-5 catalyst. A part of cokes deposited on the catalysts diminished when only $CO_2$ gas or water steam flowed into the reactor. The coke deposited on the catalysts was very reactive and it may be an important intermediate for the carbon dioxide reforming reaction.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.813-818
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• 2008

Various additives were added in small amounts on Ni/YSZ anode of SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) in order to improve reactivity and to inhibit deactivation due to coke deposition during methane reforming using a low mole ratio steam ($H_2O/CH_4=1.5$) at $800^{\circ}C$. Ni/YSZ catalysts added with various perovskites did not show any improvement but exhibited a gradual decrease in the methane conversion. K-doped Ni/YSZ showed a steady increase and maintenance of the conversion up to 42 hours, after which there was an abrupt deactivation of catalyst owing to potassium loss by volatilization. Addition of 5% of $K_2Ti_2O_5$ on Ni/YSZ showed a stable maintenance of the conversion without K loss, and was able to prevent coke formation during a long time operation. Deactivation of catalyst during the reaction was mainly caused by the accumulation of graphidic carbon on the catalyst surface.