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Sequential Simulation of A Fluidized Bed Membrane Reactor For The
Sequential Simulation of A Fluidized Bed Membrane Reactor For The
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A simulation model is developed using ASPEN PLUS to predict the performance of a fluidized bed membrane
reformer. Because there are physical and chemical phenomena interacting in the fluidized bed membrane
reformer, two submodels seem necessary in the model. These submodels are the hydrodynamic and reaction
submodels. The hydrodynamic submodel is based on the dynamic two-phase model, and the reaction submodel
is derived from the literature. The reformer is divided into two regions: a dense bed and freeboard. The dense
bed is divided into several sections. At each section, the flow of the gas is considered as the plug flow through
the membrane and bubble phases and perfectly mixed through the emulsion phase. The sets of the experimental
data were used from the literature to validate the model. Close agreement was observed between the model
predictions and experimental data. This model can be used for the simulation of nonideal fluidized bed membrane
reactors inside the ASPEN PLUS process simulator.
Introduction
Steam reforming of hydrocarbons is the leading industrial
process for producing hydrogen and synthesis gases for ammonia and methanol production, hydrocracking and hydrotreating, FischerTropsch synthesis, and other important processes
in petroleum refining and petrochemical industries.1 Typical
industrial reformers are formed of hundreds of fixed bed tubes
packed with nickel catalyst particles within gas-fired furnaces.2
Industrial fixed-bed steam reformers have several drawbacks,
such as thermodynamic equilibrium limitations, carbon formation on the catalyst, a large temperature gradient, and low heattransfer rates, which seriously affect their operation and
performance. In recent years, new membrane-based fluidized
bed reformers have been under development to overcome these
shortcomings.
Considerable attention has been paid to the fluidized bed
membrane reformers (FBMRs) as multifunctional reformers.3
The main advantages of FBMR are a uniform temperature in
the bed, an increase in the hydrogen production because of
changes in thermodynamic equilibrium conditions, an enhancement of methane conversion, a simultaneous reaction and
separation of hydrogen, an elimination of intercatalyst diffusion
limitations, a good heat-transfer capability, and a more compact
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: (0098) 21-66461024. E-mail: sotudeh@ut.ac.ir.
University of Tehran.
On sabbatical leave (20062007) at the Chemical Engineering Department, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar.
Tarbiat Modares University.
(1) Adris, A. M.; Lim, C. J.; Grace, J. R. The fluidized-bed membrane
reactor for steam methane reforming: Model verification and parametric
study. Chem. Eng. Sci. 1997, 52, 16091622.
(2) Chen, Z.; Prasad, P.; Yan, Y.; Elnashaie, S. S. E. H. Simulation for
steam reforming of natural gas with oxygen input in a novel membrane
reformer. Fuel Process. Technol. 2003, 83 (13), 235252.
(3) Abashar, M. E. E. Coupling of steam and dry reforming of methane
in catalytic fluidized bed membrane reactors. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2004,
29, 799808.
SarVar-Amini et al.
parameter
1
formula
Archimedes number
Ar )
bubble velocity
emulsion velocity
Fgdv3(Fp - Fg)g
2
U0 - Ub
1-
0.3H
D
)
Mori and Wen
10
11
12
13
18
0.4
) 0.534 1 - exp -
b ) 1 - 0.146exp -
U0 - Umf
0.413
Miwa et al.16
)]
U0 - Umf
0.429
U0 - Umf
4.439
Cui et al.10
)
Kunii and Levenspiel
kiq )
4DiemfUb
umf
+
3
db
Ni ) Askiq(Ci,emulsion - Ci,bubble)
15
Ni ) Askiq(Ci,bubble - Ci,emulsion)
16
and fed into the bottom of the bed (lower region), where the
reforming reactions take place. Inside the bed, a number of
hydrogen perm-selective membrane tubes are inserted. Among
these membrane tubes, the catalyst is fluidized and the steam
reforming of methane takes place. The produced hydrogen
selectively permeates through hydrogen membranes and is then
carried away by sweep gas, such as steam in the hydrogen
membrane tubes.20 The reforming reactions are then completed
in the upper region (the freeboard and expansion zone) of the
reformer, where the entrainment and carry-over of catalyst
particles may have a considerable effect on reforming. The rate
of reforming in these regions is directly affected by hydrodynamics. Consequently, these two regions should be considered
in the modeling: the dense bed, which is operating under the
bubbling fluidization regime, and a more dilute upper region,
( )( )[
FH
MH
Am
13
0.5
14
17
13
12
Ue )
6
reference
15
PHR 2 - PHM2
Katsuta et al.19
Qeff ) pQ0exp(-Ep/RT)
SarVar-Amini et al.
purpose
Calc1
to calculate volumes, the voidage, and the flow rate for ideal reactors
(CSTR and PFR) in the bed
to calculate voidage in the freeboard
to calculate the average flow rate of components separated from the PFR
added to the membrane tube and CSTR
to calculate the average flow rate of components separated from the
CSTR and added to the membrane tube and PFR
Calc2
Calc3
Calc4
equations used
111 (Table 1)
12 (Table 1)
13 and 1517 (Table 1)
13, 14, 16, and 17 (Table 1)
(1)
CO + H2O S CO2 + H2
(2)
(3)
SarVar-Amini et al.