Partial oxidation of methane and propane with sulfur effects over Rh-coated monolith: Spatially resolved intra-channel species and temperature measurements and modeling

The partial oxidation of methane and propane, as well as the influence of sulfur were studied on channelized-monolith-supported Rh-based reformers. Fiber-optic based temperature measurements based on phosphorescence and pyrometry for intra-reactor measurements were employed. The initial slow reaction zone lengthened with increasing space velocity. Other than moving its inception location, space velocity had little effect on the oxidation zone; less than 15% of the total hydrogen production occurred in the oxidation zone where the major products were heat, CO, CO₂, and H₂O. Increasing space velocity decreased activity in the reforming zone, which had minor CO₂ reforming in addition to the dominant steam reforming. Variations in the species and temperature profiles might indicate dominant-chemistry transitions and unknown chemistries. Some process in the middle of the reforming zone reduced both heat consumption and synthesis gas generation, and was more apparent at higher space velocities. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the 2007 AIChE Annual Meeting (Salt Lake City, UT 11/4-9/2007).