• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.727-735
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• 2014

For improved sustainability of the biorefinery industry, biorefinery-byproduct glycerol is being investigated as an alternate source for hydrogen production. This research designs and optimizes a hydrogen-production process for small hydrogen stations using steam reforming of purified glycerol as the main reaction, replacing existing processes relying on steam methane reforming. Modeling, simulation and optimization using a commercial process simulator are performed for the proposed hydrogen production process from glycerol. The mixture of glycerol and steam are used for making syngas in the reforming process. Then hydrogen are produced from carbon monoxide and steam through the water-gas shift reaction. Finally, hydrogen is separated from carbon dioxide using PSA. This study shows higher yield than former U.S. DOE and Linde studies. Economic evaluations are performed for optimal planning of constructing domestic hydrogen energy infrastructure based on the proposed glycerol-based hydrogen station.

• Clean Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.130-136
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• 2009

Commercial catalyst (Cu-Zn/$Al_2O_3$, Johnson Matthey Co., 83-3 Catalyst) was applied to the hydrogen production by steam reforming of methanol in the micro-channel reactor (MCR). The steam reforming of methanol was tested over Cu-Zn catalyst at temperatures in the range of 200 and 300$^{\circ}C$, the catalyst size of 0.05${\sim}$2.2 mm, the space velocity of 3,000${\sim}$10,000 $hr^{-1}$ in a fixed bed continuous flow reactor. The conversion of methanol and the yield $H_2$ preferred high temperatures and low space velocities, and had optimal results with the particle size of 0.35 mm. Based on the results from experiments with fixed bed reactor, two types of MCR, boat bed and stacked bed MCRs, were studied. The stacked bed type MCR showed better methanol conversion compared with the boat type one.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.17-20
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• 2006

한국에너지기술연구원에서는 가정용 고분자연료전지 열병합 발전시스템을 위한 통합형 천연가스 연료처리 시스템을 개발해 왔다. 가정용 시스템으로서 필수적인 소형화와 고효율을 현실화하기 위해, 연료처리 시스템의 각 단위 공정 즉 수증기 개질, 수성가스 전이, 선택적 산화 공정 등을 이중 동 심관형 반응기에 통합하여 상호 열교환이 용이하도록 반응기를 설계하였다. 현재 시험 운전 중인 Prototype-I 연료 처리 시스템은 1kW급 고분자 연료전지 열병합 발전 시스템에 개질 가스를 공급하기 위해 설계되었으며, 기초 성능은 정격 부하 운전시 열효율 78% (HHV 기준), 메탄 전환율 91%이다. 개질 가스 내 일산화탄소 농도는 고분자 연료전지 전극의 피독을 피하기 위해 10ppm 이하로 유지되어야 하며, Prototype-I 연료 처리 시스템은 백금과 루테늄 촉매를 적용한 선택적 산화 반응기를 통해 개질 가스 내 일산화탄소 농도를 10ppm 이하로 제거하였다. 일반 가정에서는 고분자 연료전지 시스템의 부하 변동이 예상되기 때문에 연료 처리 시스템의 부하 변동 운전 특성도 살펴보았다 정격 부하에서 80%, 60%, 40%로 부하를 변동하며 운전하였고, 각 부하에서 안정한 메탄 전환율과 10ppm이하의 일산화탄소 농도를 보였다. 80%까지는 열효율이 77%로 큰 변화를 보이지 않았으며, 60%에서는 76%, 40%에서는 72%로 열효율이 감소하는 현상을 보였다 연료 처리 시스템의 일일 시동-정지 운전시 내구성을 테스트 중이다. 현재까지 50여회의 일일-시동 정지를 시도하였다 시동 후 약 세 시간가량의 정력 부하 운전을 실시한 후 부하 변동을 실시하였고, 총 운전 시간 8시간 정도 운전한 후 시스템을 정지하였다 메탄 전환율과 일산화 탄소 농도, 열효율을 모니터링 하고 있으며, 현재까지 초기 성능을 그대로 유지하고 있다. 앞으로 일일시동-정지 운전 시험을 지속하면서 초기 시동 특성 및 부하 변동에 따른 응답 특성 개선, 그리고 연료전지와의 연계 운전을 실시할 예정이다

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.618-626
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• 2017

Conventional high temperature reformers are not suitable for hybrid fuel cell systems that use waste heat as a heat source. So, development of a low temperature type reformer is needed. However, the analysis was conducted in two ways to increase the thermal efficiency, because of low reforming rate due to the low heat source. First, it is a way to ger thermal gain from the outside through partial insulation. In the case of one heat source tube and several heat source tubes, we analyzed the effect of partial heat insulation in some cases. Second, we found the most efficient arrangement of the heat source tubes by changing the location of the heat source tubes. The interpretation was carred out using the COMSOL Mutiphysics program.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.772-779
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• 2011

New type of syngas generator based on the partial oxidation of biogas in volumetric permeable matrix reformers was suggested as an effective, adaptable and relatively simple way of syngas and hydrogen production for various low-scale applications. The use of biogas as an energy source reduces the chance of possible emission of two greenhouse gases, $CH_4$ and $CO_2$, into the atmosphere at the same time. Its nature of being a reproducible energy source makes its use even more attractive. Parametric screening studies were achieved as air ratio, biogas component ratio, input gas temperature, Steam/Carbon ratio. As the air ratio was low, the production of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide increased in the condition that 3D matrix reformer maintains the stable driving. As it was the simulation biogas in which the carbon dioxide content is high, the flammable range became narrow. And the flammable range was extended if the injected gas was preheated. The stable driving was possible in the low air ratio. The amount of hydrogen production was increased as S/C ratio increased.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2021

Most of the reformer experiments have been conducted only in high-temperature operation conditions above 700℃. However, to design high efficiency solid oxide fuel cell, it is necessary to test actual reaction performance in mid-temperature (550℃) operation areas. In order to study the operation characteristics and performance of commercial reforming catalysts, a reforming performance experiment was conducted on mid-temperature. The catalysts used in this study are Ni-based FCR-4 and Ru-based RuA, RuAL. Experiments were conducted with a Steam-to-carbon ratio of 2.0 to 3.0 under gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) 2,000 to 5,000 hr-1. As a result, RuA and RuAL catalysts showed similar gas composition to the equilibrium regardless of the reforming temperature. However, the FCR-4 catalyst showed a lower hydrogen yield compared to the equilibrium under high GHSV conditions.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05b
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• pp.1997-2002
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• 2007

The reformer is one of the most important chemical processes for the production of high purity hydrogen from fossil fuel. This study compares zero-dimensional model with CFD models for reaction analysis of methane-steam reformer. The zero-dimensional model is an empirical equation, however CFD model uses reactions of Arrhenius type. Because the reaction coefficients of the steam-methane catalytic reforming have not been reported before in the form of Arrhenius type, the present study aims to find the appropriate reaction coefficients. The used CFD code is Fluent 6.2 version. Several models are compared for the case of various operating temperature, mass of catalyst and steam to methane ratio.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.29-35
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• 2001

The chemical heat storage as the one way of utilization for high temperature solar energy was considered. The stram reforming reaction of methane was chosen for endothermic reaction. The reactor was made of stainless steel tube and it's dimension was 0.635 cm I.D. and 30 cm long, coiled tube because of the geometry requirement of solar receiver The effects of space velocity and reactants mole ratio on the methane conversion and CO selectivity were examined. From the experimental results, the optimum steam/methane mole ratio was determined.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.13-19
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• 2005

The reaction of steam reforming of methane with commercial catalysts was conducted for thermochemical heat storage. The reaction conditions were investigated for temperature range of 700 to $900\;^{\circ}C$ and steam to carbon mole ratios between 3.0 and 5.0. The reactor was made of stainless steel and it's dimension was 12 cm inside diameter and 6cm long. The effects of space velocity and reactants mole ratio and temperature on the methane conversion and CO selectivity were examined. Optimum reaction condition was determined. There was not a significant difference of methane conversion and CO selectivity compared to conventional reactor.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.2 no.4 s.8
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• pp.56-63
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• 2006

In this paper, heat and mass transfer characteristics through experimental and numerical study are extensively investigated in steam reforming reactor under given operating conditions. In order to get simulated data at outlet of the reformer, heterogeneous reactor model is incorporated. As the reaction also takes place in porous media, two medium approach is used to take into account thermally non-equilibrium phenomena between catalyst and bulk gas. From various parametric studies, significance of heat transfer is emphasized in steam reforming reaction.