화학공학소재연구정보센터
Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, Vol.39, No.5, 1182-1193, May, 2022
Development of 3D CFD model of compact steam methane reforming process for standalone applications
E-mail:,
The demand for sustainable energy has increased with growing concerns of environmental damage. H2 has attracted considerable attention as a clean and renewable energy carrier that can be used in fuel cells. Industrial H2 has been manufactured to produce synthetic gas in large-capacity plants using steam methane reforming (SMR). However, a compact H2 production system is needed that maintains production efficiency on a small scale for fuel cell applications. In this study, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of a compact steam reforming reactor was developed based on the experimental data measured in a pilot-scale charging station. Using the developed model, one can predict all the compositions of the reformate produced in the reactor and simultaneously analyze the temperatures of the product, flue gas, and the reaction tube. Therewith, case studies were conducted to compare the H2 production performance of the eight different structures and sizes of the proposed reformer. Based on the results, a design improvement strategy is proposed for an efficient small-scale SMR process.
  1. ENERGY EER, (Hydrogen Production: Natural Gas Reforming).
  2. Demirbas A, Energy Sources B: Econ. Plan. Policy, 12, 172 (2017)
  3. Gupta RB, Hydrogen fuel - production, transport and storage, CRC Press (2009).
  4. Nikolaidis P, Poullikkas A, Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev., 67, 597 (2017)
  5. Simpson AP, Lutz AE, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 32, 4811 (2007)
  6. Hajjaji N, Pons MN, Houas A, Renaudin V, Energy Policy, 42, 392 (2012)
  7. Li P, Chen L, Xia S, Zhang L, Int. J. Chem. React., 17, 20180191 (2019)
  8. Taji M, Farsi M, Keshavarz P, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 43, 13110 (2018)
  9. Nobandegani MS, Birjandi MRS, Darbandi T, Khalilipour MM, Shahraki F, Mohebbi-Kalhori D, J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng., 36, 540 (2016)
  10. Kallegoda CM, CH 4034 Comprehensive Design Project II Interim Report 1 Primary Reformer Design Production of Ammonia from Naphtha, D. P. G. Rathnasiri (2017).
  11. Tran A, Aguirre A, Crose M, Durand H, Christofides PD, Comput. Chem. Eng., 104, 185 (2017)
  12. Kumar A, Edgar TF, Baldea M, Comput. Chem. Eng., 107, 271 (2017)
  13. Kumar A, Baldea M, Edgar TF, Comput. Chem. Eng., 105, 224 (2017)
  14. Kumar A, Baldea M, Edgar TF, Control Eng. Practice, 54, 140 (2016)
  15. Chen P, Du W, Zhang M, Duan F, Zhang L, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 44, 15704 (2019)
  16. Bhutta MMA, Hayat N, Bashir MH, Khan AR, Ahmad KN, Khan S, Appl. Therm. Eng., 32, 1 (2012)
  17. Khan MJH, Hussain MA, Mansourpour Z, Mostoufi N, Ghasem NM, Abdullah EC, J. Ind. Eng. Chem., 20, 3919 (2014)
  18. Uebel K, Rößger P, Prüfert U, Richter A, Meyer B, Fuel Process. Technol., 149, 290 (2016)
  19. Bao Z, Yang F, Wu Z, Nyamsi SN, Zhang Z, Energy Conv. Manag., 65, 322 (2013)
  20. Ding J, Wang X, Zhou XF, Ren NQ, Guo WQ, Bioresour. Technol., 101, 7016 (2010)
  21. Ansoni JL, Seleghim P, Adv. Eng. Softw., 91, 23 (2016)
  22. Park S, Na J, Kim M, Lee JM, Comput. Chem. Eng., 119, 25 (2018)
  23. Shin G, Yun J, Yu S, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 42, 14697 (2017)
  24. Hong SK, Dong SK, Han JO, Lee JS, Lee YC, Energy, 61, 410 (2013)
  25. Nguyen DD, Ngo SI, Lim YI, Kim W, Lee UD, Seo D, Yoon WL, Int. J. Hydrog. Energy, 44, 1973 (2019)
  26. Ngo SI, Lim YI, Kim W, Seo DJ, Yoon WL, Appl. Energy, 236, 340 (2019)
  27. Xu J, Froment GF, AICHE Symp. Ser., 35, 88 (1989)
  28. Han J, A Development of Engine and Fuelling Station for HCNG fueled City Bus (2016).
  29. Yu Z, Cao E, Wang Y, Zhou Z, Dai Z, Fuel Process. Technol., 87, 695 (2006)
  30. Hoi PCJ, Validation of discrete ordinate radiation model for application in UV air disinfection modeling (2014).
  31. Tran A, Aguirre A, Durand H, Crose M, Christofides PD, Chem. Eng. Sci., 171, 576 (2017)