An experimental study aiming to enhance the performance of OSR of a fuel processor
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Date
2017.
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Thesis (M.A.) - Bogazici University. Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences, 2017.
Abstract
The aim of this study is to determine the optimum operating parameters of the methane OSR unit of the Fuel Processor Prototype-FPP yielding high methane conversion activity with suppressed H2/CO product selectivity through a Box-Behnken experimental design using temperature, S/C and O/C ratios of the feed, and the catalyst weight (or residence time, W/F) as the experimental parameters. The ranges of 350-450 °C, 3-5, 0.74-1.33, and 1.50-2.00 mg.min/ml were used as the experimental design parameter ranges for temperature, S/C feed ratio, O/C feed ratio and W/F, respectively. Additionally, a thermodynamic analysis was also performed for the same operation conditions in order to form a comparison basis for evaluating the performance test results, and for better understanding of the nature of OSR as well. Experimental CH4 conversion was increased by a rise in each of the parameters of temperature, S/C and O/C feed ratios; and this trend was confirmed via the thermodynamic analysis for the conditions used in the experiments. On the other hand, the observed effect of W/F on experimental CH4 conversion was nonconventional, i.e. an increase in W/F mostly resulted in a decrease in CH4 conversion. This was confirmed further by comparative analysis with the thermodynamic simulation results yielding lower CH4 conversion levels compared to those obtained in the experiments for W/F ratios of 1.50-2.00 mg.min/ml. In addition to CH4 conversion, product distribution of OSR varied with the changes in the reaction conditions. Consequently, as the trends in H2 production and H2/CO product ratio obtained as a function of W/F were -in general- opposite, the results reveal the existence of a Pareto optimal for W/F value, and strongly suggested the necessity of scrutinizing the relation between space time/space velocity (W/F) and reactor performance to find the practical operating conditions for the OSR reactor.