Analysis of Transport Processes and Chemical Reaction in Combustion Duct of Compact Methane Reformer

A composite combustion duct in compact methane reformers consists of a gas flow channel, porous layer and solid plates. There are various transport processes appeared, such as gas flow in the channel, multi-component species convection/diffusion in the porous layer, and heat transfer. They are further coupled by methane catalytic combustion in the porous layer, which affects the reformer overall performance and reliability. By three dimensional CFD approach, the reacting gas flow and heat transfer processes were numerically studied. The reformer conditions such as mass balances associated with the chemical reaction and gas permeation to/from the porous layer are implemented in the calculation. The results reveal that the catalytic combustion reaction is confined in a thin porous catalyst area close to fuel gas flow duct. Transport processes of the fuel gas species and temperature distribution are significantly affected by the reactions.