Development of a Multichannel Membrane Reactor with a Solid Oxide Cell Design.

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Solid oxide cells (SOCs) possess a multichannel design suitable for adaptation into membrane reactors.
• Syngas production via partial oxidation of methane is a key industrial process.
• Oxygen ion transport membranes (ITMs) are crucial for efficient oxygen separation and permeation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt a solid oxide cell (SOC) into a membrane reactor for general chemical reactions.
• To test the developed reactor for syngas production through the partial oxidation of methane.
• To investigate the reactor's performance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.

Main Methods:

• Adaptation of a solid oxide cell (SOC) into a membrane reactor.
• Utilized a La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O_3-δ (LSCF) membrane for oxygen permeation.
• Employed a Ni/MgAl₂O₄ catalyst for methane partial oxidation.
• Performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using ANSYS Fluent.
• Modeled membrane permeation kinetics using user-defined functions (UDFs).

Main Results:

• Oxygen permeation rate is influenced by temperature, air and fuel flow rates, and reaction occurrence.
• Under isothermal operation with a methane to oxygen molar ratio of 2.0, methane conversion reached 95.8% and CO selectivity reached 97.2%.
• Adiabatic operation achieved near 100% methane conversion but lower CO selectivity (61.6%) due to a hot spot at 1491 K.
• Reducing methane flow rate in adiabatic operation decreases temperature rise but also syngas productivity.

Conclusions:

• Successful adaptation of a solid oxide cell (SOC) into a functional membrane reactor.
• The developed membrane reactor demonstrates efficient syngas production from methane.
• The reactor design offers potential for exploring other chemical reaction applications.