Experimental studies and comprehensive reactor modeling of hydrogen production by the catalytic reforming of crude ethanol in a packed bed tubular reactor over a Ni/Al2O3 catalyst

A rigorous numerical model was developed to simulate the production of hydrogen from the reforming of crude ethanol in a packed bed tubular reactor (PBTR). The model was based on the coupling of mass and energy balance equations as well as a new kinetic model developed for the process. The simulation results for crude ethanol conversion were found to be in accordance with the experimental data obtained at various operating conditions. This confirms the validity of the numerical model. A further validation of the model was obtained by using the model to simulate a well-documented reaction process. In addition, the predicted variations of the concentration and temperature profiles for our process in the radial direction indicate that the assumption of plug flow and isothermal behavior is justified within certain kinetics operating conditions. However, even within these operating conditions, our results have proven that the axial dispersion terms in both the mass and the energy balance equations cannot be neglected.