High Performance Membrane Reactor System for Hydrogen Production from Methane

A tailor-made membrane reactor has been used to produce hydrogen from methane by reforming with carbon dioxide at temperatures as low as 800 K. By adjusting the reactants feeding rate and the hydrogen extraction conditions to the membrane permeability, methane conversion was 3-fold greater than that predicted by thermodynamics for a conventional fixed bed reactor. CO₂/CH₄ ratios above unity yielded better performance since these conditions limit carbon deposition. For long-term runs, the use of a reforming catalyst with a high oxygen mobility support to disperse the active nickel phase, such as a mixed Ce−Zr oxide, has shown to prevent carbon deposition in the system effectively, even under the severe conditions imposed by the membrane operation.