Cost-competitive methane steam reforming in a membrane reactor for H2 production: Technical and economic evaluation with a window of a H2 selectivity

Techno-economic viability studies of employing a membrane reactor (MR) equipped with H2 separation membranes for methane steam reforming (MSR) were carried out for H2 production in Korea using HYSYS??, a well-known chemical process simulator, including economic analysis based on itemized cost estimation and sensitivity analysis (SA). With the reaction kinetics for MSR reported by Xu and Froment, the effect of a wide range of H2 selectivity (10-10,000) on the performance in an MR was investigated in this study. Because of the equilibrium shift owing to the Le Chatelier's principle, great performance of enhancement of methane conversion (XCH4) and H2 yield and reaction temperature reduction was observed in an MR compared with a packed-bed reactor (PBR). A window of a H2 selectivity from 100 to 300 is proposed as a new criterion for better MR performance of MSR depending on potential applications from in-depth analysis of XCH4 and H2 yield enhancements, a H2 purity, and temperature reduction. In addition, economic analysis to evaluate the feasibility of an MR technology for MSR was carried out focusing on a levelized cost of H2 based on itemized cost estimation of capital and operating costs as well as SA. Techno-economic assessment showed 36.7% cost reduction in an MR compared with a PBR and revealed that this MR technology can be possibly opted for a cost-competitive H2 production process for MSR