Research Project: Thermally Integrated Ceramic Microreactors

This research effort aims to understand the behavior of ceramic microreactors coupling an endothermic catalytic process (methanol steam reforming) with an exothermic process (combustion of methanol fuel) to achieve high yields of hydrogen at competitive thermal efficiencies. This is achieved by a unique reactor design capable of achieving two-dimensional heat integration patterns in thermally insulating materials; resulting hot-spots allow high thermal efficiencies.

Publications

1. •A. Moreno, S. Damodharan and B.A. Wilhite, “Influence of Two-Dimensional Distribution Schemes upon Reactor Performance in a Ceramic Microchannel Network for Autothermal Methanol Reforming,” I&EC Research, 49, 10956-1094 (2010).