Methanol steam reforming by heat-insulated warm plasma catalysis for efficient hydrogen production

Efficient hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming is carried out in a heat-insulated warm plasma-catalytic (WPC) reactor. Methanol steam reforming in warm plasma and warm plasma-catalytic cases is investigated. For warm plasma alone, methanol mainly converts via pyrolysis reaction and its conversion linearly increases with specific energy input (SEI). The arc channel temperature and electron density of warm plasma are respectively measured to be around 2500 K and 3 x 10(14) cm(-3), based on optical emission spectra. To take advantage of energy from plasma, Fe-Cu/gamma-Al2O3 catalyst for methanol steam reforming and water gas shift is placed after the warm plasma. Compare with plasma alone, methanol conversion in WPC case is nearly double therefore the energy cost decreases from 1.71 kW h/Nm(3) to 0.85 kW h/Nm(3). Energy efficiency of 84% and H-2 selectivity of 98% with methanol conversion of 94% are achieved in this warm plasma-catalytic reactor.