Combined pre-reformer/reformer system utilizing monolith catalysts for hydrogen production

The pre-reforming of higher hydrocarbon, propane, was performed to generate hydrogen from LPG without carbon deposition on the catalysts. A Ru/Ni/MgAl2O4 metallic monolith catalyst was employed to minimize the pressure drop over the catalyst bed. The propane pre-reforming reaction conditions for the complete conversion of propane with no carbon formation were identified to be the following: space velocities over 2400 h−1 and temperatures between 400 and 450 °C with a H2O/C1 ratio of 3. The combined pre-reformer and the main reformer system with the Ru/Ni/MgAl2O4 metallic monolith catalyst was employed to test the conversion propane to syngas where the reaction heat was provided by catalytic combustors. Propane was converted in the pre-reformer to 52.5% H2, 27.0% CH4, 17.5% CO, and 3.0% CO2 with a 331 °C inlet temperature and a 482 °C catalyst outlet temperature. The main steam reforming reactor converted the methane from the pre-reformer with a conversion of higher than 99.0% with a 366 °C inlet temperature and an 824 °C catalyst outlet temperature. With a total of 912 cc of the Ru/Ni/MgAl2O4 metallic monolith catalyst in the main reformer, the H2 production from the propane reached an average of 3.25 Nm3h−1 when the propane was fed at 0.4 Nm3h−1.

► A Ru-doped Ni/MgAl2O4 catalyst washcoated on the metallic monolith in reforming.
► A combined unit of a pre-reformer/reformer at a pilot scale of 5 kWe-class reformer.
► The endothermic reaction heat was supplied by a combustion reactor with Pd catalyst.
► In the reformer, the methane conversion was higher than 99.0% at 824 °C
► Total H2 production rate was about 3.25 Nm3h−1 with the propane fed at 0.4 Nm3h−1.