A tubular-quartz reactor (TQR) and

A tubular-quartz reactor (TQR) and a multichannel reactor (MCR) made of aluminium wereemployed for methanol steam reforming to perform the kinetic modelling at atmosphericpressure using two commercial catalysts and one new catalyst, respectively. In TQR, theexperiments were performed at oven temperatures from 200 to 300
C, and with differentsteam to carbon (S/C) ratios. In MCR, the experiments were performed at reactor temperatures from 170 to 210
C and with S/C ratio equal to 1.5. The experimental data wassuccessfully modeled for the three catalysts. However, the results with TQR revealed thatthe temperature gradients were formed in the catalyst bed. Thus, the actual representationof the catalyst behaviour neglecting radial temperature gradients is somewhat uncertain.On the other hand, a multichannel reactor (MCR) provided good temperature controlthrough the wall of the reactor and almost isothermal conditions in the catalyst bed whichallowed obtaining a reliable model. This kinetic model was used in simulation anddesigning of a small scale heat exchanger reactor.