On the non-monotonic behaviour of methane—steam reforming kinetics

✍ Scribed by S.S.E.H. Elnashaie; A.M. Adris; A.S. Al-Ubaid; M.A. Soliman

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 998 KB
• Volume: 45
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2509
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2509(90)87036-r

✦ Synopsis

A parameteric study on the rate expression recently developed by Xu and Froment (1989a, A.1.Ch.E. J. 35,88-96)

is carried out over a wide range of parameters. The analysis of this rate expression has shown a non-monotonic dependence of the reaction rate upon steam partial pressure which explains the contradictions between the rate expressions available in the literature, that is the prediction of positive, as well as negative effective reaction order with respect to steam. A simplified pseudo-homogeneous model with a constant effectiveness factor, with Xu and Froment's rate expression was used to investigate the implications of the non-monotonic kinetics on the performance of steam reformers. The main implication was also checked using a heterogeneous model that represents very closely industrial steam reformers.