Sorption enhanced steam methane reforming in a bubbling fluidized bed reactor: Simulation and analysis by the CPFD method

This work reports the modelling and simulation results of a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using the Compu-tational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD) method of the Barracuda (R) software. The reactor under investigation is the carbonator installed in the ENEA ZECOMIX research infrastructure, where Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) happens simultaneous with CO2 capture via solid sorbents. In this intensified process, namely Sorption Enhanced Steam Methane Reforming (SE-SMR), steam methane reforming is coupled with high temperature CO2 sorption and calcium looping (CaL) process, in order to increase the H2 yield, beyond thermodynamic limits. Currently, the reactor is operated in batch mode and is used also for sorbent regeneration, by switching the fluidizing gas flow from steam/methane to oxy-burner combustion products. With the aim of studying the process when it is operated as a closed loop, in this paper the reactor is continuously fed by a fresh sorbent flow and a riser/calciner reactor for sorbent regeneration, to be connected with the carbonator, has been sized. The continuous circulation of solid material between the two reactors ensures the maintenance of different operating temperatures and therefore greater operational optimization. The numerical analysis presented in this paper will serve as a valid support for the experimental activities. For this purpose, a sensitivity study on the SE-SMR process has been conducted, by varying the main operating conditions (e.g. sorbent conversion, sorbent/catalyst ratio, fluidizing gas flow), to evaluate the hydrogen purity yield. Two different kinetic mechanisms have been compared for the gas phase reactions. A post-processing routine has been written, in order to analyze bubbles sizes and velocities inside the fluidized environment. The effect of sorbent and catalyst particles segregation has been also investigated. The same modelling approach has been used for the sizing of the fast riser calciner reactor.