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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

ISBN Print: 978-1-56700-474-8

ISBN Online: 978-1-56700-473-1

International Heat Transfer Conference 16
August, 10-15, 2018, Beijing, China

MODELING OF STEAM REFORMING OF ETHANOL IN MESO- AND MICRO- CHANNEL SYSTEMS

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC16.cat.023931
pages 1653-1658

Abstract

Steady state 2D modelling of Steam Reforming of Ethanol (SRE) has been carried out in meso- and micro-channel systems, to understand the reactor size effects on hydrogen production. Conjugate heat transfer across reformer wall is analyzed for different wall thicknesses. With increase in plate thickness, the performance of the system reduces due to an increase in the overall resistance.The average heat and mass transfer coefficients in a micro-channel system are much higher than those in a meso-system, which results in better conversion for micro-channel reformer. Consequently, the non-dimensional temperature profiles of micro-channel system attain asymptotic isothermal state within a shorter distance from the inlet, as compared to that of the meso-channel system. The conduction resistances for the meso- and micro-channel systems were determined to be an order smaller than the respective convective resistances. Therefore, the conversion rates in both the systems are predominantly convection dominated for a major part of the channel length. This conclusion is also corroborated by the time scales for diffusion and convection in the meso- and micro-channel systems.