Modeling of Multicomponent Concentration Profiles in Membrane Microreactors

Abstract

In this paper, we study the problem of modeling multicomponent concentration profiles in a membrane-based microreactor. Using basic constitutive laws of mass balance, we derive a low-order model of a generic membrane microreactor, incorporating chemical reaction and permeation through a selective micro-membrane and utilizing a pressure distribution formula for slipping flows from our previous work. Without loss of generality, the model can address nonisothermal conditions and can be extended to allow flow compressibility. We study the utility of our model in evaluating the optimal design and operation of a palladium-based membrane microreactor for conducting hydrogen purification and water gas shift (WGS) reforming in microfuel processing applications.