Investigation of methanol steam reforming reactors with different catalyst support structures on hydrogen production efficiency and methanol conversion

Abstract

Hydrogen is known for its high energy density and pollution-free nature, but it faces challenges in storage and transportation. Methanol, as a liquid fuel, offers a promising solution through methanol steam reforming to produce hydrogen. This paper presents an in-depth study of the support structure shape of a methanol steam reforming hydrogen production reactor and employs principal component analysis (PCA) for hydrogen production efficiency analysis. Aligning with various catalyst support optimization objectives, three distinct optimization strategies are proposed. These approaches are designed to enhance the reactor’s overall heat and mass transfer capacities, thereby increasing both the methanol conversion rate and the hydrogen production rate. Through experimental validation of reaction kinetics coupled with comprehensive numerical simulations, our systematic investigation conclusively demonstrates that the “tubular snake flow channel structure” design exhibits superior reaction performance. Under the specific snake flow configuration, both the hydrogen production rate and methanol conversion rate reach remarkable levels. To further improve the reactor’s overall performance, a composite support structure reactor is constructed by meticulously combining multiple support structure optimization schemes. The results show that the composite reactor achieves a methanol conversion rate of 88.245% and a hydrogen output of 46.216 L per hour. The study provides a feasible approach for improving hydrogen production efficiency and optimizing the structure of methanol reforming reactors.