(393c) Solution Strategies for Multi-Dimensional Steam Methane Reforming Reactor Models

The production of hydrogen is an imperative task due to the increasing needs for its consumption and potential to assisting with the implementation of more renewable electricity generation. Hydrogen is a highly efficient energy carrier and can be utilized in multiple industries. Steam methane reforming (SMR) reaction is the most dominant industrial hydrogen production method. We developed multi-dimensional reactor models for the SMR reactor [1]. However, solution times for two-dimensional reactor models that capture axial and radial composition gradients remain high.

Multi-scale models are advantageous because they offer a detailed perspective on how endothermic reactions transform reactants into products while utilizing heat from the surrounding furnace. We have implemented the two-dimensional model in PYOMO and explore various initialization strategies to solve the second-order partial differential equations that come from the detailed kinetics modeling.

[1] C. Cui, D.-N. Vo, Y. Zhao, M. Qi, M. Xia, D. Ramkrishna, C.M. Masuku, Rigorous development and comparison of multi-dimensional reactor models encompassing the catalyst domains for steam methane reforming, Chem. Eng. J. 496 (2024) 153581.