• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.113-120
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• 2013

A steam reformer is a chemical reactor to produce high purity hydrogen from fossil fuel. In the steam reformer, since endothermic steam reforming is heated by exothermic combustion of fossil fuel, the heat transfer between two reaction zones dominates conversion of fossil fuel to hydrogen. Steam Reforming is complex chemical reaction, mass and heat transfer due to the exothermic methane/air combustion reaction and the endothermic steam reforming reaction. Typically, a steam reformer employs burner to supply appropriate heat for endothermic steam reforming reaction which reduces system efficiency. In this study, the heat of steam reforming reaction is provided by anode-off gas combustion of stationary fuel cell. This paper presents a optimization of heat transfer effect and average temperature of cross-section using two-dimensional models of a coaxial cylindrical reactor, and analysis three-dimensional models of a coaxial cylindrical steam reformer with chemical reaction. Numerical analysis needs to dominant chemical reaction that are assumed as a Steam Reforming (SR) reaction, a Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction, and a Direct Steam Reforming(DSR) reaction. The major parameters of analysis are temperature, fuel conversion and heat flux in the coaxial reactor.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.41-44
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• 2007

Steam reforming reaction of natural gas is an important process for fuelcell commercialization. In this paper, steam reforming reaction is studied by numerical method. Pseudo-homogeneous model is incorporated for chemical reactions and one medium approach is used to take into account thermally equilibrium phenomena between catalyst and bulk gas. The model is validated with our experimental results under the same operating conditions. Because performance of reformer has relation to heat flux from wall, heat flux profiles was investigated by using Nusselt number. Value of Nusselt number in steam reformer is larger than one in channel, which does not have chemical reaction because steam reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction. When the difference of Nusselt number at the front and the rear is larger, performance is improved.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2003

In this study, activity changes of $Ni/Ce-ZrO_2$ catalyst for steam reforming reaction in the various steam treatment condition were investigated and BET, XRD and XPS analysis were introduced to characterize the catalyst before and after treatment. Activity test showed that $Ni/Ce-ZrO_2$ catalyst had good activity after reduction in steam reforming reaction but deactivated rapidly after steam treatment at high temperature. Activities of deactivated catalyst by steam was recovered to die previous activity level after reduction using hydrogen rich gas. It was observed that catalytic activity was preserved after repeated steam treatment, too. It showed that change of catalytic activity due to steam treatment is perfectly reversible. From the BET, XRD and XPS analysis, deactivation of $Ni/Ce-ZrO_2$ catalyst was due to the transition from Ni, that is activity site for steam reforming reaction, to $NiAl_2O_4$ in steam treatment at high temperature.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.226-236
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• 2013

The heat distribution and internal flow from the efficiency of actual reformer and specification variation, using the computer simulation and experiment about the steam methane reforming reaction which uses the high temperature reformer. Reaction model from steam refoemer uses the steam response model developed by Xu & Froment.As result we supposed the chemical react Steam Reforming(SR), Water Gas Shift(WGS), and Direct Steam Reforming(DSR) from the inner high temperature reformer dominates the response has dissimilar response. According to result of steam methane reforming reaction exam using high temperature reformer, we figured out when Steam Carbon Ratio(SCR) increase, number of hydrogen yield increases but methane decreases. When comparing and examining between design with one inlet and two inlet, result came out one inlet design is more outstanding at thermal distribution and internal flow, hydrogen yield in one inlet design than two inlet design.

• Clean Technology
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.379-387
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• 2013

Ethanol steam reforming reaction considered as a clean hydrogen production method is introduced in this paper. Reactivity and reaction rate equation of ethanol steam reforming reaction using various catalysts, reaction temperature, and molar ratio of ethanol and water will be discussed. In addition to introducing a membrane reactor combining a reactor and a separator, the effect of the use of a membrane reactor on an ethanol conversion and hydrogen yield will be compared to those from a conventional packed-bed reactor.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.153-156
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• 2009

Low temperature methane steam reforming to produce $H_2$ for fuel cells has been calculated thermodynamically considering both heat loss of the reformer and unreacted $H_2$ in fuel cell stack. According to the thermodynamic equilibrium analysis, it is possible to operate methane steam reforming at low temperatures. A scheme for the low temperature methane steam reforming to produce $H_2$ for fuel cells by burning both unconverted $CH_4$ and $H_2$ to supply the heat for steam methane reforming has been proposed. The calculated value of the heat balance temperature is strongly dependent upon the amount of unreacted $H_2$ and heat loss of the reformer. If unreacted $H_2$ increases, less methane is required because unreacted $H_2$ can be burned to supply the heat. As a consequence, it is suitable to increase the reaction temperature for getting higher $CH_4$ conversion and more $H_2$ for fuel cell stack. If heat loss increases from the reformer, it is necessary to supply more heat for the endothermic methane steam reforming reaction from burning unconverted $CH_4$, resulting in decreasing the reforming temperature. Experimentally, it has been confirmed that low temperature methane steam reforming is possible with stable activity.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.636-644
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• 2008

The objective of this paper is to investigate characteristics of an autothermal reformer at various operating conditions. Numerical method has been used, and simulation model has been developed for the analysis. Pseudo-homogeneous model is incorporated because the reactor is filled with catalysts of a packed-bed type. Dominant chemical reactions are Full Combustion reaction, Steam Reforming(SR) reaction, Water-Gas Shift(WGS) reaction, and Direct Steam Reforming(DSR) reaction. Simulation results are compared with experimental results for code validation. Operating parameters of the autothermal reformer are inlet temperature, Oxygen to Carbon Ratio(OCR), Steam to Carbon Ratio(SCR), and Gas Hourly Space Velocity(GHSV). Temperature at the reactor center, fuel conversion, species at the reformer outlet, and reforming efficiency are shown as simulation results. SR reaction rate is improved by increased inlet temperature. Reforming efficiency and fuel conversion reached the maximum at 0.7 of OCR. SR reaction and WGS reaction are activated as SCR increases. When GHSV is increased, reforming efficiency increases but pressure drop from the increased GHSV may decrease the system efficiency.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.11a
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• pp.91.1-91.1
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• 2010

The Reforming system is an effective method to generate hydrogen which uses for fuel cell system. The purpose of this study is to present characteristics of an autothermal reformer at various operating conditions and to investigate ideal conditions for reforming efficiency. Dominant chemical reactions are Full Combustion, Steam Reforming reaction, Water-Gas Shift reaction and Direct Steam Reforming reaction. Operating parameters of the autothermal reformer are inlet temperature, Oxygen to Carbon Ratio, Steam to Carbon Ratio and Gas Hourly Space Velocity. Autothermal reformer is filled with catalysis of a packbed-bed type. Using numerical approach, we have investigated on various reaction conditions.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.507-510
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• 2008

Characteristics of an autothermal reformer at various operating parameters have been studied in this paper. Numerical method has been used, and simulation model has been developed for the analysis. Full Combustion reaction, Steam Reforming(SR) reaction, Water-Gas Shift(WGS) reaction, and Direct Steam Reforming(DSR) reaction are assumed as dominant chemical reactions in the autothermal reformer. Simulation results are compared with experimental results for code validation. Operating parameters of the autothermal reformer are inlet temperature, Oxygen to Carbon Ratio(OCR), Steam to Carbon Ratio(SCR), and Gas Hourly Space Veolcity(GHSV). SR reaction rate decreases with low inlet temperature. If OCR is increased, $H_2$ yield is increased but optimal point is suggested. WGS reaction is activated with high SCR. When GHSV is increased, reforming efficiency is increased but pressure drop may decrease the system efficiency.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.25-28
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• 2008

Steam reforming reaction is a matured technology to get hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels compared with other reforming reactions such as partial oxidation(POX), autothermal reforming(ATR). It is so endothermic that it needs heat source to activate the reaction. Due to the reaction characteristics, heat transfer limitation phenomena generally occur in the steam reformer. As one of new ideas, the effect of discontinuous gas feeding is investigated based on heat transfer characteristics. The new operating method is usually favorable at high GHSV region(i.e. over $10,000h^{-1}$). In order to numerically simulate the physical issues, numerical approach is adopted based on heterogeneous reaction model, two-equation model in energy equation, and other constitutive models in porous media.