Title: Development of a microfuel processor: oxidative steam reforming of ethanol and water-gas shift reaction on noble metal catalysts in a microreactor

Authors: Nageswara Rao Peela; Aditya Shankar Sandupatla; Deepak Kunzru

Addresses: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716, USA ' Laboratory for Chemical Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, Gent, 9000, Belgium ' Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, 208016, India

Abstract: The oxidative steam reforming of ethanol (OSRE) and water-gas shift (WGS) reactions were studied in a microchannel reactor. For OSRE, the experiments were conducted at atmospheric pressure, with water to ethanol molar ratio of 3 or 6 and oxygen to ethanol molar ratio ranging from 0.5 to 1.5, over a temperature range of 350-550°C on Rh/CeO₂/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts. Compared to SRE, the activity in OSRE was higher, but the selectivity to desired products was slightly lower. The H2 yield obtained in OSRE was ∼120 m³.kg⁻¹.h⁻¹. For WGS, the experiments were conducted at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range of 250-400°C on Pt supported on different oxides. The order of activity for Pt supported on different oxides was CeO₂-ZrO₂ > CeO₂ > TiO₂ > ZrO₂ > Al₂O₃. With Pt/CeO₂-ZrO₂/Al₂O₃ catalyst, conversions close to equilibrium could be obtained at 370°C and wt. of catalyst/molar flow rate of CO = 11.4 g.h.mol⁻¹. Moreover, this catalyst did not show any deactivation in a 10 h run.

Keywords: oxidative steam reforming; water-gas shift reaction; WGS; microchannel reactors; fuel processors; ethanol; hydrogen production; rhodium catalyst; platinum catalyst; catalyst deactivation; ceria support; microfuel processors; noble metal catalysts; microreactors.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEE.2014.057834

International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2014 Vol.6 No.1, pp.78 - 90

Accepted: 21 Mar 2012
Published online: 30 May 2014 *

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