Kinetic model of a plate fin heat exchanger with catalytic coating as a steam reformer of methane,biogas, and dimethyl ether

The paper presents an analysis of a compact plate fin heat exchanger with catalytic coating. The unit is used to convert various fuels into hydrogen‐rich gas, which is then fed into the anodic compartments of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack. The study looks at the fuel processor for methane, biogas, and dimethyl ether (DME). In the first phase, the reaction kinetics model was based on data from the literature. This was followed by tuning and validation of the numerical model using data collected during an experimental campaign. Four values of the steam to carbon ratio (2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5) were used to analyze the performance of the heat exchanger, which was investigated in a temperature range of 500°C to 750°C. The experimental data are compared with predictions of the model implemented in Aspen HYSYS modeling software and discussed. It was found that the relative prediction error of the simulator does not exceed 3.5%.