From seconds to milliseconds to microseconds through tailored microchannel reactor design of a steam methane reformer

Abstract Conventional steam methane reformers operate with contact times exceeding 1 s. Recent literature has suggested that microchannel reactors may reduce the contact time to a few or tens of milliseconds. This report shows both experimentally and theoretically that the 1 ms barrier for steam methane reforming (SMR) has been broken with the aid of a tailored microchannel reactor design, where the catalyst is coated on a relatively thick porous engineered structure. While 1 ms contact time reactions have been approached by the partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas, steam reforming has historically been considered a slow reaction. Methane steam reforming experiments at contact times of 90–900 μs were conducted. Greater than 98% approach to equilibrium methane conversion was demonstrated at 900 μs, and 19.7% approach to equilibrium was measured at 90 μs. Both cases were supported with good model agreement. Further, the model explores microchannel reactor structures that minimize heat and mass transfer and results suggest that at a contact time of 500 μs a high approach to equilibrium is possible.