Research on the hydrogen production performance of methanol reforming microchannels with multi-scale structures

Methanol microreactors are of much application value in mobile hydrogen production (HP) thanks to their tiny volume, flexibility and safety and all that. Microchannels, the core of a reactor, provide a site and heat supply for the reaction. In this paper, a microchannel with multi-scale structures, i.e. submicro structure, corrugated structure, fin structure and matrix structure, is designed. Then the influence mechanism of these structures on the hydrogen production of methanol reforming is studied. Specifically, the influences of mi-crostructures like submicro and corrugated structures on the performance of the catalyst in the microchannel as well as the influence of fin structure and matrix structure on the heat and mass transfer performance of the channel are studied. From the experimental research on the methanol conversion rate and H2 flow rate of the microchannel with multi -scale structures, the influence rule of different structures on the HP performance of the channel is summarized. The experimental results show that these multi-scale structures not only improve the loading of the catalyst of the microchannel, but also its heat and mass transfer, which increases the methanol conversion rate of the microchannel with multi -scale structures by 33% and its H2 flow rate by 0.266 mol/h.(c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper designs a microchannel with multi-scale structures and investigates their influence mechanism on the hydrogen production of methanol reforming. Experimental results show that these structures can improve the catalyst loading and enhance the heat and mass transfer performance of the microchannel, leading to increased methanol conversion rate and H2 flow rate.