The influence of purifier models on hydrogen network optimization: Insights from a case study

•Purifiers inside hydrogen networks have been evaluated by numerical methods.•Membrane performs more stable than PSA when network parameters fluctuate.•Relationships between mechanism models and performance models are verified.

Many researchers have integrated hydrogen networks with membrane separation and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) purification devices in order to minimize hydrogen utility consumption in refineries. However, few have realized the influence parameters of purifiers have on the hydrogen network. Several simplified purifier models can be observed in literature, but the accuracy and applicability of these simplified models have not been reported yet. In this paper, the impact of a purifier on the hydrogen network was revealed from three aspects by a numerical method. The three aspects included the material selectivity, the pressure ratio and the network parameters. Insights from the case study shows that the network parameter has less of an influence on the network performance compared to the purifier parameters.