Review of catalytic reforming for hydrogen production in a membrane-assisted fluidized bed reactor

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111832Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Catalytic reforming using a membrane-assisted fluidized bed is reviewed.

  • Influencing factors of membrane separation are summarized.

  • Coupling of membrane separation and other technologies is discussed.

Abstract

Catalytic reforming technology is regarded as one of the most popular hydrogen production methods. The introduction of a fluidized bed reactor provides a promising opportunity for the enhancement of catalytic reforming technology owing to its good gas-solid contact as well as heat and mass transfer characteristics. In order to improve the hydrogen production, the strengthening method of reforming technology via hydrogen membrane separation has been developed in the last years. In this paper, the development and challenge of catalytic reforming technology using a membrane-assisted fluidized bed for hydrogen production are reviewed. Some influencing factors of membrane separation such as membrane material, membrane sealing, carbon monoxide poisoning, membrane pollution and membrane arrangement are summarized. Meanwhile, some features of a fluidized bed membrane reactor such as sweep gas effect, bubble-to-emulsion mass transfer, densified zone formation and concentration polarization are reviewed. Some coupling technologies including the integration of hydrogen permeation and carbon dioxide sorption technology as well as the combination of hydrogen separation and oxygen introduction are also introduced.

Introduction

Hydrogen energy plays an increasingly important role in the world energy stage owing to its excellent combustion and pollution-free characteristics [1]. The development of global industrial hydrogen market puts forward a new requirement for large-scale hydrogen production technology. Hydrogen can be obtained by means of various methods including electrolysis or photo-dissociation of water, catalytic reforming and ammonia decomposition [[2], [3], [4], [5]]. Among them, catalytic reforming is regarded as one of the most popular methods for hydrogen production as a result of its abundant fuel sources [6,7]. Nowadays, more than 60% of hydrogen production comes from natural gas [8]. Besides, light alcohols such as methanol and ethanol are easy to handle owing to low toxicity, high capacity, energy density and availability [[9], [10], [11], [12]].

A fixed bed is the most common catalytic reforming reactor for hydrogen production, whereas it suffers from poor heat and mass transfer behavior, high temperature gradient, catalyst sintering, coke deposition and dust jamming. A fluidized bed shows its advantage in the industrial-scale catalytic reforming process because the coke formed could be separated continuously [13]. Khajeh et al. [14] conducted a modelling to compare the fixed-bed and fluidized-bed reformers. It was pointed out that there was a more effective temperature management and fuel conversion in a fluidized bed. Jing et al. [15] experimentally investigated the methane reforming process in fixed bed and fluidized bed reactors. It was found that the circulation of catalyst particles between oxidization zone and reduction zone in a fluidized bed favored the inhibition of coke deposition and fuel conversion. Therefore, the introduction of a fluidized bed reactor provides a promising opportunity for the catalytic reforming process. Even though a fluidized bed reactor in the application of hydrogen production appears some advantages, there are still a few challenges [16].The limitation of thermodynamic equilibrium leads to the practical hydrogen output much lower than the theoretical maximum hydrogen yield. High temperature operation increases the cost. The water-gas shift reaction and other side reactions with coke formation hinder the hydrogen yield and purity, which urges the development of the enhancing methods for the fluidized bed catalytic reforming process.

Previous literatures reviewed the advantages and perspectives in the industry of the membrane reactor technology for sustainable hydrogen generation via steam reforming of hydrocarbons [17]. It was pointed out that a membrane reactor showed its advantages over a traditional reactor in the filed of hydrogen production from the economic and environmental perspectives. Whereas there are few reviews about the application of fluidized bed membrane reactors in the hydrogen production. In this paper, more attention is paid towards the hydrogen production via a membrane-assisted fluidized bed reactor. More detail will be discussed on the interaction mechanism of the fluidized bed technology and membrane separation.

Section snippets

Hydrogen separation enhanced reforming in a membrane-assisted fluidized bed reactor

Hydrogen separation via the membrane can overcome the thermodynamic equilibrium constraint and shift the reaction towards the fuel conversion so as to enhance the reforming performance and promote the hydrogen yield [[18], [19], [20], [21]]. Meanwhile, the same hydrogen yield can be obtained under the low operating temperature in a membrane reactor, which means that the external energy input is saved [22,23]. In contrast to a fixed bed, a fluidized bed can hinder the defect of the membrane tube

Integration of hydrogen permeation and carbon dioxide sorption technology

Carbon dioxide sorption is regarded as an efficient enhanced-reforming approach for high-purity hydrogen production. On one hand, gas product carbon dioxide is removed so as to improve the hydrogen purity. On the other hand, additional heat can be provided for the reforming reaction owing to the exothermic carbon dioxide sorption reaction [89]. Therefore, the integrated technology of hydrogen membrane permeation and carbon dioxide in-situ sorption as well as its application in the catalytic

Coupling of hydrogen separation and oxygen introduction

In order to overcome the inefficiency of heat supply to endothermic reforming reactions and inhibit the coke formation, oxygen is successfully introduced into a fluidized bed for oxidative reforming (or partial oxidation) so that the auto-thermal condition can be achieved [99,100]. To attain an increase in reaction rate and catalyst regeneration, a novel circulating fast fluidization-bed membrane reformer (CFFBMR) was suggested [101,102], as shown in Fig. 5 [101], where hydrogen separation

Conclusion and future prospect

Catalytic steam reforming is a promising large-scale hydrogen production method, whereas it suffers from low hydrogen yield and purity as well as carbon dioxide emission. A high hydrogen production efficiency can be achieved via a membrane-assisted fluidized bed reactor. Recent studies about catalytic reforming process in a membrane-assisted fluidized bed reactor can be synthesized as below:

  • (1)

    Membrane selectivity is a key for hydrogen-separation enhanced-reforming process. Considering the

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Acknowledgments

This research is conducted with financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52076060).

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