Reducing-atmosphere thermochemical reactor with partial oxidation of methane steam reforming products

A thermochemical reactor has been designed for oxygen-free steam reforming of methane with partial oxidation of reforming, which ensures an autothermal process. The reactor consists of a lower zone which contains a bed with catalytic packing where methane is reformed; and an upper zone some of the conversion products are withdrawn from the reactor and the rest is oxidized to maintain the desired bed temperature. We herein present experimental results which include the identified effective vertical thermal conductivity of the fluidized electro-corundum bed inhibited by the KSN-2 aluminum-nickel catalytic packing of KSN-2; the temperature and composition of the reforming products are identified as well. We have developed a stationary one-dimensional model of how methane is steam-reformed in a homogeneous fluidized bed while inhibited catalytic packing. The model is in a satisfactory agreement with experimental results when it comes to the compositions of methane reforming products at a CH4:H2O=1:1 ratio; the same applies to the bed-exit temperature of about 1000 °C. Reforming products can be used as reducing atmospheres, for example, in iron ore processing.