Preliminary Numerical Simulation of Methane Steam Reforming in Porous Catalytic Media

Autores/as

  • Toni Jadson da Silva Department of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Lorena School of Engineering, University of São Paulo, Research Group on Numerical Methods and Computational Engineering. Lorena, São Paulo, Brasil.
  • Jairo Aparecido Martins Department of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Lorena School of Engineering, University of São Paulo, Research Group on Numerical Methods and Computational Engineering. Lorena, São Paulo, Brasil.
  • Fabiano Fernandes Bargos Department of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Lorena School of Engineering, University of São Paulo, Research Group on Numerical Methods and Computational Engineering. Lorena, São Paulo, Brasil.
  • Estaner Claro Romão Department of Basic and Environmental Sciences, Lorena School of Engineering, University of São Paulo, Research Group on Numerical Methods and Computational Engineering. Lorena, São Paulo, Brasil.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.70567/mc.v42.ocsid8624

Palabras clave:

Methane steam reforming, Hydrogen production, Porous media, Numerical simulation, Catalytic reactor

Resumen

This work presents preliminary results of the numerical simulation of methane steam reforming in a porous catalytic medium, considering exclusively the global reaction with methane without the gas-shift reaction. The model was implemented in COMSOL Multiphysics based on the classical formulation of Darcy’s law, the energy balance in porous media, and the transport of concentrated species. The analyses were performed in a simplified cylindrical geometry, varying the reactor length, the inlet temperature (800 and 900 K), and the methane/water feed ratio. The results indicated that longer reactors and higher temperatures enhance methane conversion and hydrogen production, whereas the feed composition revealed trade-offs between relative conversion and absolute productivity. This study aligns with established trends in the literature and serves as the preliminary stage of an ongoing master’s research project. Future work will involve extensive parametric analysis, integration of multiple reaction pathways, and a detailed investigation of process selectivity.

Citas

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Publicado

2025-12-02

Número

Sección

Artículos completos del congreso MECOM 2025