Design principles of multifunctional microdevices for hydrogen production via short contact time steam reforming

A pseudo two-dimensional model was developed to model a microdevice, which consists of two parallel catalytically coated, closely spaced plates. Propane/air combustion on Pt took place in one of them and steam methane reforming on Rh in the other. Fast heat exchange was achieved through the thin wall that separates them. This simple configuration provided compactness, intimate coupling between the two processes, and the flexibility of different catalysts, fuels, and flow configurations. The intrinsic steam methane reforming chemistry on Rh was very fast and only slightly slower than methane partial oxidation. Catalytic plate reactor operation in co-current mode enabled compact steam methane reforming, fast transverse heat transfer, and millisecond operation. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 42nd Loss Prevention Symposium (New Orleans, LA 4/6-10/2008).