Pure hydrogen generation in a fluidized-bed membrane reactor: Experimental findings

Recent Advances in Pd-Based Membranes for Membrane Reactors

Palladium-based membranes for hydrogen separation have been studied by several research groups during the last 40 years. Much effort has been dedicated to improving the hydrogen flux of these membranes employing different alloys, supports, deposition/production techniques, etc. High flux and cheap membranes, yet stable at different operating conditions are required for their exploitation at industrial scale. The integration of membranes in multifunctional reactors (membrane reactors) poses additional demands on the membranes as interactions at different levels between the catalyst and the membrane surface can occur. Particularly, when employing the membranes in fluidized bed reactors, the selective layer should be resistant to or protected against erosion. In this review we will also describe a novel kind of membranes, the pore-filled type membranes prepared by Pacheco Tanaka and coworkers that represent a possible solution to integrate thin selective membranes into membrane reactors while protecting the selective layer. This work is focused on recent advances on metallic supports, materials used as an intermetallic diffusion layer when metallic supports are used and the most recent advances on Pd-based composite membranes. Particular attention is paid to improvements on sulfur resistance of Pd based membranes, resistance to hydrogen embrittlement and stability at high temperature.

Novel Membrane Reactor Concepts for Hydrogen Production from Hydrocarbons: A Review

Membrane reactors are attracting increasing attention for ultrapure hydrogen production from fossil fuel, integrating catalytic reaction and separation processes into one single unit thus can realize the removal of hydrogen or introduction of reactant in situ, which removes the thermodynamic bottleneck and improves hydrogen yield and selectivity. In this review, the state-of-the-art concepts for hydrogen production through membrane reactors are introduced, mainly including fixed bed membrane reactors, fluidized bed membrane reactors, and micro-channel membrane reactors, referring higher hydrocarbons as feedstock, such as ethanol, propane, or heptane; novel heating methods, like solar energy realized through molten salt; new modular designs, including panel and tubular configurations; ultra-compact micro-channel designs; carbon dioxide capture with chemical looping; multifuel processors for liquid and/or solid hydrocarbons; etc. Recent developments and commercialization hurdles for each type of membrane reactor are summarized. Modeling the reactor is fundamental to explore complex hydrodynamics in reactor systems, meaningful to investigate the effects of some important operating factors on reactor performances. Researches for reactor modeling are also discussed. Reaction kinetics for hydrocarbons reforming and reactor hydrodynamics are summarized respectively. Cold model is introduced to investigate physical phenomena in reactors.