Numerical Simulation and Optimization of Methane Steam Reforming to Maximize H2 Production: A Case Study

Abstract

Research in renewable energy, the preservation of the environment, and the reduction of energy generation costs are themes that go hand in hand. In this work, a case study was carried out that aims to maximize the production of hydrogen through Methane Steam Reforming. For this, several numerical simulations, considering a laminar flow regime in a chemical reactor with a catalyst, were developed with COMSOL Multiphysics. After an exploratory study of the data, a systematic optimization was developed using multivariate regression models formed by combinations of input parameters in an idealized reactor. The results showed that the proposed approach is capable of satisfactory optimization.