Steam Reformer

Application ID: 3861


In fuel cell power generators, a steam reformer unit typically produces the hydrogen needed for the cell stack.

This example illustrates the modeling of a steam reformer. The reformation chemistry occurs in a porous catalytic bed where energy is supplied through heating tubes to drive the endothermal reaction system. The reactor is enclosed in an insulating jacket.

The tightly coupled system of mass, energy and momentum equations used to describe the system are readily set up using the predefined modeling interfaces of the Chemical Reaction Engineering Module.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: