Membrane Reactor Modelling, Validation and Simulation for the WGS Reaction using Metal Doped Silica Membranes

In this work, a Matlab Simulink (c) model was developed to analyse and predict the performance of a metal doped silica membrane reactor for H-2 Production via both the high and low temperature water gas shift reaction. All activated transport model for mixed gas separation with combined reaction was developed to model the effects within a membrane reactor unit. The membrane reactor was modelled as a number of perfectly mixed compartments containing a catalyst bed and a gas selective membrane. The combined model provided a good fit to experimentally measured results for higher conversions up to equilibrium, which is generally the case for industrial applications. Simulation results showed that H-2 separation and H-2 recovery improved with pressure, due to the H-2 concentration driving force across the membrane. For a single stage membrane reactor unit, a maximum conversion of 93% could be achieved with a H-2 recovery Late of 95%. In addition, the membrane reactor efficiency increased at higher temperatures and lower H2O: CO feed ratios, allowing For CO conversion improvements by the membrane reactor. (C) 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.