Numerical investigation of components influence on characteristics of autothermal reforming of methane in micro premix chamber

• Increasing O2 content improves production of H2, CO and CH4 conversion efficiency.
• 650–750 K is an important transitional region of different reactions of CH4.
• CO2 and H2O have no effect on H2, CO content as temperature below 650 K.
• Effect of H2O on producing H2 is greater than CO2 especially at higher temperature.
• H2O is more benefit to the improvement of the CH4 conversion efficiency than CO2.

This paper focuses on investigating that the influence of O2, CO2 and H2O on characteristics of autothermal reforming of methane in micro premix chamber on Ni catalysts. In addition, the effect of catalytic wall temperature on autothermal reforming reaction of methane under a certain ratio of CH4/CO2/H2O/O2 is simulated. The results indicate that appropriately increasing O2 concentration can increase the conversion efficiency of CH4, so does adding CO2 or H2O. The positive effect of O2, CO2 and H2O is more pronounced at the higher temperature. The temperature range of 650–750 K is the important transitional region in the reactions of CH4/O2, CH4/H2O and CH4/CO2. It also gives a guide to the available range of parameters in the high efficiency reforming process of micro-reactor.