Exergy analysis of hydrogen production via steam methane reforming

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

ISSN

0360-3199

Volume

32

Issue

18

DOI

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2007.08.025

First Page

4811

Last Page

4820

Publication Date

12-1-2007

Abstract

The performance of hydrogen production via steam methane reforming (SMR) is evaluated using exergy analysis, with emphasis on exergy flows, destruction, waste, and efficiencies. A steam methane reformer model was developed using a chemical equilibrium model with detailed heat integration. A base-case system was evaluated using operating parameters from published literature. Reformer operating parameters were varied to illustrate their influence on system performance. The calculated thermal and exergy efficiencies of the base-case system are lower than those reported in literature. The majority of the exergy destruction occurs due to the high irreversibility of chemical reactions and heat transfer. A significant amount of exergy is wasted in the exhaust stream. The variation of reformer operating parameters illustrated an inverse relationship between hydrogen yield and the amount of methane required by the system. The results of this investigation demonstrate the utility of exergy analysis and provide guidance for where research and development in hydrogen production via SMR should be focused. © 2007 International Association for Hydrogen Energy.

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