e-REFORMER for sustainable hydrogen production: enhancing efficiency in the steam methane reforming process
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Electric heating is increasingly utilised in industrial applications such as arc and plasma furnaces, as well as induction-heated reactors. Shifting from natural gas to electric heating presents a significant opportunity for decarbonising chemical processes, particularly in steam methane reforming for hydrogen production. This research work aims to decarbonise the 29,000 Nm3/h hydrogen output from a steam reformer furnace in an ammonia production facility, which consists of both radiant and convection sections. Using Aspen HYSYS® software, the steam methane reforming process and heat convection system of the first reformer were modelled to analyse key thermodynamic characteristics. The proposed solution involves replacing fuel burners with electric resistance heaters in the first reformer, preserving the existing design while eliminating non-renewable fuel consumption for heat generation. The results suggest that this modification can reduce the overall heat duty by 3.78%. Additionally, using electric-driven heating in the reformer can lead to a 91.56% reduction in low-purity flue gas emissions compared to conventional fuelheated systems, improving the furnace's efficiency by 3.86%. This shift to electric heating not only contributes to decarbonisation goals but also enhances overall operational efficiency while significantly reducing harmful emissions.
Source: Applied Energy
Language: English
Subfield: Catalysis
Field: Chemical Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,430
OpenAlex ID: W4413354816