Enhancement of heat recirculation on the hysteresis effect of catalytic partial oxidation of methane

The hysteresis characteristics of catalytic partial oxidation of methane (CPOM) in a Swiss-roll reactor are predicted numerically by varying Damkohler number. Particular attention is paid to the influences of heat recirculation, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), and atomic O/C ratio on the hysteresis loop and performance of CPOM. The reactions of methane combustion, steam reforming, and CO2 or dry reforming are simultaneously considered. The results reveal that preheating reactants through excess enthalpy recovery is conducive to the ignition of CPOM and extending its extinction limit, so the ignition and extinction Damkohler numbers are lowered. The analysis also suggests that steam reforming is more sensitive to the heat recovery than methane combustion and dry reforming. An increase in GHSV reduces the residence time of reactants in the catalyst bed, thereby enlarging the ignition and extinction Damkohler numbers of CPOM. A higher O/C ratio facilitates the ignition of CPOM, stemming from more oxygen supplied, but the ratio should be controlled below 1.2. From the hysteresis phenomena, hydrogen can be produced from methane at a lower Damkohler number to save more energy for performing CPOM. Copyright (C) 2013, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.