CFD simulation of Pd-based membrane reformer when thermally coupled within a fuel cell micro-CHP system

In this work, a bi-dimensional CFD simulation investigates a fuel processor for hydrogen production from natural gas or biogas composed by a steam methane reformer coupled with a palladium-based hydrogen permeable membrane, the so-called “membrane reformer” (MREF). The heat required for the endothermic reforming reaction taking place on the MREF is supplied by a stream of hot gas coming from an external source, typically represented by a combustor burning the unconverted fuel and the unpermeated hydrogen. The resulting fuel processor arrangement, which has already been simulated by the point of view of energy and mass balances, may achieve a very high efficiency and is particularly suited for integration with fuel cells. The interest on this configuration relies on the possibility to implement this technology within a PEMFC-based micro-cogenerator (also micro-Combined Heat and Power, or m-CHP) with a net electrical power output in a range of 1–2 kW. In particular, the work focuses on the temperature profiles along the membrane, which should be kept as close as possible to 600 °C to favourite permeation and avoid any damages, and examines the advantages of hot gas on co-current direction vs. counter-current with respect to the reformer flux direction.