Modeling Study of the Sorption-Enhanced Reaction Process for CO2 Capture. II. Application to Steam-Methane Reforming

In this paper, the reactor model introduced in part I will be verified using the results of an analytical solution for the increase of CH4 conversion over the bed and validated using the results of sorption-enhanced steam-methane reforming laboratory-scale experiments. An experimentally derived rate equation for the steam-methane reforming reaction is used, a literature rate equation for the water−gas shift reaction. An overview of modeling work on the sorption-enhanced reaction process for steam-methane reforming performed by other groups is presented. The CH4 and CO2 profiles obtained from laboratory-scale experiments are quite satisfactorily described using a Freundlich isotherm. A sensitivity analysis shows that both the CH4 and CO2 profiles are sensitive to the adopted isotherm model and its parameters. In addition to that, the CH4 and CO2 profiles are sensitive to the diffusion coefficient. Neither profile is sensitive to the particle size or the heat of adsorption.