Project Details
Projekt
TFB 56: Development of a Regenerative Reactor System for Autothermal Operation of Endothermic High-temperature Syntheses
Subject Area
Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering
Term
from 2005 to 2008
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 14966635
The objective of this transfer project is the industrial utilisation of research activities within the Collaborative Research Centre 412 Computer Aided Modelling and Simulation for Analysis, Synthesis and Control in Process Engineering . The process understanding gained in the project B.3 will be applied to design an energetically efficient and economic process and set up a prototype for a decentralised hydrogen production process based on methane steam reforming.Methane steam reforming is a highly endothermic, equilibrium-limited high-temperature reaction. Its heat supply on a high temperature level is a demanding task in process and apparatus design. Moreover, sensible heat has to be recovered from the hot product gases in order to establish economic operation. On industrial scale energetically favourable operation is achieved by heat exchange networks and steam generation.In decentralised facilities such as the on-site generation of hydrogen for fuelling stations, a process has to be autothermal in order to be economic, i.e. it has to be operated without any heat export or import. A heat surplus can be avoided when the heat release of a combustion reaction exactly covers the heat demand of the endothermic production of hydrogen and heat loss.An attractive concept to couple production and combustion is the periodic operation of an adiabatic fixed-bed reactor. The fixed-bed serves as a regenerative heat exchanger. During combustion it is heated up, and during hydrogen production the stored heat is consumed by the endothermic reaction. Previous studies revealed that a proper geometric adjustment of heat generation and heat consumption during the two process steps is crucial for a favourable temperature profile and high productivity.The most demanding task at this stage of the project is the technical realisation of a controlled heat generation at high temperatures. The industrial partners´ expertise in FLOX combustion will be adapted to the conditions during the combustion period such that a periodic heat-up of the reactor can be established without significant excess temperatures.
DFG Programme
CRC/Transfer Units
Completed projects
Applicant Institution
Universität Stuttgart
Spokesperson
Professor Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Nieken
