• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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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.

• 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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• 2007.06a
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• pp.37-40
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• 2007

Diesel autothermal reforming(ATR) is an effective method for hydrogen production. But, diesel ATR has several problems such as the sulfur poisoning of catalyst and carbon deposition during reforming reactor. Especially, carbon deposition is a severe problem, which causes rapid performance degradation, in the reforming reaction. Ethylene among the reformate gas is a carbon precursor. Effective decomposition of ethylene is an important issue. In this paper, we investigated the carbon deposition from ethylene in the reforming reaction for proper reaction condition of diesel ATR. We achieved relatively high performance of diesel ATR under $H_{2}O/C=0.8$, $O_{2}/C=3$ condition that was based on the experiment of ethylene reforming reaction.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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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• 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.

• 한국전산유체공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.228-232
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• 2010

In this paper, various operating parameters of stream reforming process from methane in preconverter for MCFC is studied by numerical method. Commercial code is used to simulated the porous catalyst with user subroutine to model three dominant chemical reactions which are Stream Reforming(SR), Water-Gas Shift(WGS), and Direct Stram Reforming(DSR). The hydrogen production is tested with different wall temperature, Gas Hourly Space Velocity(GHSV), and different reactor shapes.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.503-506
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• 2008

Liquid hydrocarbon fuels, such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel and JP 8, can be good candidates for SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) system fuel due to their high hydrogen density. Autothermal reforming (ATR) is suitable for liquid hydrocarbon fuel reforming because oxygen can decompose the aromatics in liquid fuel and steam can suppress the carbon deposition during catalytic reaction. The advantage of ATR is that it has a simple system construction due to exothermicity of ATR reaction. We control the exothermicity of reaction, make the reaction possible design a self-sustaining ATR reactor. A self-sustained 1kW-class kerosene autothermal reformer is introduced in this paper. The 1kW-class kerosene reformer was continuously operated for about 140 hours without degradation of reforming performance.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.30 no.11 s.254
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• pp.1123-1130
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• 2006

This study discusses about research efforts of hydrogen generation from hydrocarbon(e.g., diesel, gasoline, natural gas, and LPG), especially, butane reforming by using Autothermal Reforming Reaction (ATR) technology. Several catalysts were selected for butane ATR. Thermodynamic reactor conditions (temperature, $O_2$/C, S/C) are varied and reforming characteristics of 2 catalysts (Pt and Rh on ceramic supports) and 1 commercial catalyst (FCR-HC35) have been examined. To understand reaction behaviors in an ATR reactor comprehensively, temperature profiles of reactor were observed. By mass transfer limitation, fuel conversion decreases when GHSV increases. Significant temperature variation along the reactor was observed and it was mainly due reaction kinetics difference between exothermic oxidation and endothermic reforming reaction.