Coupled Simulations in Steam Methane Reformers using CFD and Reaction Kinetics

Steam Methane Reformers are complex due to the catalytic processes inside tubes coupled with the fireside combustion. Numerical modeling of such systems requires an adequate representation of the physics taking place on the firebox side and on the process side. These processes have been studied individually using simulation in the past. Segregated modeling approaches are limited because one needs to iterate between the models manually. An integrated approach can be computationally prohibitive. In this work, we present a co-simulation approach.

The performance of an industrial scale steam-methane reformer unit is studied numerically using the commercial software package STAR-CCM+. In this study, the flow, temperature, and species concentrations on the firebox side are obtained using the steady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) approach. Since the process tubes in steam-methane reformers are typically packed with catalyst, appropriate models are incorporated in the process side to get the right pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient. The coupling between the firebox side and the process side is performed using the co-simulation approach.