This study is aimed at developing a simulation model of a solar volumetric reactor for hydrocarbon reforming, operating at high temperature and pressure. It will then be used to optimize the reactor design and analyze its performance. The model development utilizes previous and on-going experimental work on volumetric receiver and catalyst development. The reaction’s kinetics are computed, using the CHEMKIN II simulation package. The chemical kinetic modeling of the relevant C-H-O system is based on: (i) Definition of the relevant computation domain and parameters: temperature, pressure, reactant compositions, residence time, and catalyst load, (ii) Utilizing laboratory measurements at 700–1400 K and 1–4 bar. to quantify the kinetic parameters for both, and reforming of and for the Reverse Water Shift reaction. Calculated and measured data are compared for three representative cases, showing a good agreement. The results indicate that the Arrhenius method can be a viable and practical way to predict the behavior of steam and reforming over a range of temperatures and pressures. Furthermore, it is shown that the present approach can provide a method for estimating the desirable dimensions of the reactor for reforming of Additional, on-going computational and experimental work, which would provide a more accurate simulation, can easily be implemented using the present numerical model.
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e-mail: rachamim.rubin@weizmann.ac.il
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August 2004
Technical Papers
Chemical Kinetics Simulation of High Temperature Hydrocarbons Reforming in a Solar Reactor
Rachamim Rubin,
e-mail: rachamim.rubin@weizmann.ac.il
Rachamim Rubin
Solar Research Facilities Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Jacob Karni,
Jacob Karni
Solar Research Facilities Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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Jacob Yeheskel
Jacob Yeheskel
Rotem Industries Ltd., P.O.B. 9046, Beer-Sheva 84190, Israel
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Rachamim Rubin
Solar Research Facilities Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
e-mail: rachamim.rubin@weizmann.ac.il
Jacob Karni
Solar Research Facilities Unit, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
Jacob Yeheskel
Rotem Industries Ltd., P.O.B. 9046, Beer-Sheva 84190, Israel
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for publication in the ASME JOURNAL OF SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the ASME Solar Division Jun. 2003; final revision Jun. 2003.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Aug 2004, 126(3): 858-866 (9 pages)
Published Online: July 19, 2004
Article history
Revised:
June 1, 2003
Received:
June 1, 2003
Online:
July 19, 2004
Citation
Rubin, R., Karni, J., and Yeheskel, J. (July 19, 2004). "Chemical Kinetics Simulation of High Temperature Hydrocarbons Reforming in a Solar Reactor ." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. August 2004; 126(3): 858–866. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1691439
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