Effect of water addition and stoichiometry variations on temperature profiles in an autothermal methane reforming reactor with Ni catalyst

Temperature distribution in the catalyst was measured and, for each operating condition, the fraction of catalyst above a limiting value for deactivation and below a limiting value for coke formation was quantified. These information were coupled with data of methane conversion and hydrogen production, to identify a region of favourable reactor operating conditions, in the plane AIR/CH4-H2O/CH4.