Unmixed Reforming: A Novel Autothermal Cyclic Steam Reforming Process

Abstract

The UMR process was studied in a packed bed reactor using diesel fuel and natural gas as the feedstock. The average purity of hydrogen in the product stream was ~70percent, with the balance being primarily methane, CO and CO2. In bench scale experiments using diesel fuel having typical fuel sulfur concentrations, there was no detectable sulfur in the product gases to at least the sub-ppm level. In pilot scale experiments, the sulfur concentration in the reformate stream was ~12 ppm. The byproduct exhaust gases contained no NOx, and the CO emissions were < 10 ppm due to the manner in which the fuel was oxidized. Modeling the packed bed reactor as a series of equilibrium reactors simulated the UMR process. This process can be used to generate hydrogen from various liquid and gaseous fuels.