Reformer Partition Plate for Uniform Catalyst Bed Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Granular catalyst beds in reformers have low effective thermal conductivity, leading to uneven temperature distribution and increased size, pressure loss, and power requirements in indirect internal reforming high temperature fuel cells.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating partition plates with higher thermal conductivity than the catalyst bed to divide the catalyst bed into sections, extending from higher to lower temperature areas within the reactor vessel, enhancing heat transfer and uniformity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a granular catalyst bed is used in the reformer, then the manufacturing cost is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the effective thermal conductivity decreases leading to uneven temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
Heat transfer enhancement members are introduced as intermediary elements between the heat source and the granular catalyst bed. These members have high thermal conductivity and act as thermal mediators to distribute heat uniformly throughout the catalyst bed, overcoming the low thermal conductivity of the granular catalyst while maintaining the cost advantages of using granular catalysts.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat transfer enhancement members are strategically positioned in specific locations within the reformer where heat distribution is most needed. By placing these high-conductivity elements locally rather than throughout the entire system, the invention achieves uniform temperature distribution while minimizing additional cost and complexity.
2Productivity
If the catalyst bed height is increased to improve reforming reaction completeness, then the temperature uniformity worsens due to larger temperature differences, but reaction completeness improves
Solution Approach 1:
Heat transfer enhancement members are distributed throughout the catalyst bed to act as thermal mediators, conducting heat from hotter regions to cooler regions. This enables the catalyst bed to maintain higher height for complete reforming reactions while preventing excessive temperature differences that would otherwise occur in taller beds.
3Temperature
If the flow of reforming gas is turned back to uniform heat distribution, then temperature uniformity improves, but pressure loss increases and auxiliary machine power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical approach of turning back gas flow to achieve heat uniformity with a thermal conduction-based approach using heat transfer enhancement members. Instead of using fluid dynamics (mechanical system) to redistribute heat, the system uses high-conductivity solid elements to conduct heat directly, eliminating the need for complex flow patterns and reducing pressure losses.
4Temperature
If the reformer size is increased to accommodate more catalyst for better temperature distribution, then temperature uniformity improves, but device volume and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Heat transfer enhancement members serve as thermal mediators within the existing reformer volume, enabling uniform temperature distribution without expanding the overall device size. These high-conductivity elements efficiently transport heat throughout the catalyst bed, achieving good temperature uniformity in a compact reformer configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration achieves a more uniform temperature distribution in the catalyst bed, reducing the size and power requirements of the reformer while maintaining cost-effectiveness and efficiency in hydrogen production for fuel cells.
Implementation Method 1
the partition plate has a thermal conductivity higher than the effective thermal conductivity of the catalyst bed
Implementation Method 2
The SOFC generates electric power by electrochemical reaction of the reformed gas and air
Implementation Method 3
the reformer is heated by the radiation heat from the SOFC
Implementation Method 4
the steam reforming is an extremely highly endothermic reaction and requires a relatively high reaction temperature of about 550° C. to 750° C.
Data Source
AI summary
To provide a reformer that uses a relatively inexpensive granular catalyst and can provide a more uniform temperature distribution in a catalyst bed while suppressing increase in the size of the reformer and the required power and size of an auxiliary machine, and a more compact indirect internal reforming high temperature fuel cell while suppressing increase in cost. A reformer that produces a hydrogen-containing gas from a hydrocarbon-based fuel by a steam reforming reaction has a reactor vessel and a reforming catalyst bed packed with a granular catalyst having steam reforming activity in the reactor vessel, the reformer has a partition plate that divides the reforming catalyst bed into at least two sections, the partition plate has a thermal conductivity higher than effective thermal conductivity of the catalyst bed, and the partition plate extends in the reactor vessel from a part which is at a higher temperature in a rated operation to a part which is at a lower temperature in rated operation. An indirect internal reforming high temperature fuel cell has the reformer and a high temperature fuel cell that generates electric power using a hydrogen-containing gas, and the reformer is disposed at a position where the reformer receives thermal radiation from the high temperature fuel cell.