Simulation of heterogeneous H2S removal in micro-scale gas flows

PETR 135

Ravi Kumar Duggirala, duggirk@auburn.edu, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Research Assistant, Auburn University, 211, Aerospace Engineering Building, Auburn, AL 36849, Christopher J Roy, cjroy@eng.auburn.edu, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Assistant Professor, Auburn Univesity, 211, Aerospace Engineering Building, Auburn, AL 36849, Hongyun Yang, yangho1@auburn.edu, Center for Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing, Auburn University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn, AL 36849, Ranjeeth R Kalluri, kallura@auburn.edu, Dept. Of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, 0322A Haley Center, Auburn, AL 36849, Donald R Cahela, cahelda@eng.auburn.edu, Dept. Of Chem. Engineering, Auburn University, 0322A Haley Center, Auburn, AL 36849, and Bruce J Tatarchuk, Department of Chemical Engineering, Professor, Director, Center for Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing, Auburn University, 304 Ross Hall, Auburn, AL 36849.
A fuel cell produces electricity by catalytically converting hydrogen and oxygen into water. Its efficiency can be increased by producing ultra-pure hydrogen using catalytic partial oxidation (i.e., reformation) and desulphurization. The Center for Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing at Auburn University has developed a new class of composite materials consisting of roughly spherical adsorbent/reactant particles embedded in a matrix of sinter- bonded micro-fibers with diameters of order 100 and 10 µm, respectively. These materials have demonstrated remarkable chemical reactivity properties, enhancing net reaction rates by up to a factor of five. Computational fluid dynamics is being used to analyze the flow through these materials and investigate the underlying mechanisms behind the enhancement in chemical reactivity. In this study, we analyze the effects of face velocity, void fraction, and particle clumping/bed channeling on pressure drop and overall rate constant during adsorption of trace amounts of H2S in H2 by ZnO impregnated on silica.
 

Fuel Processing for Hydrogen Production
1:30 PM-5:00 PM, Wednesday, 13 September 2006 Palace -- Presidio Room, Oral

Division of Petroleum Chemistry

The 232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006