A technology that promises to provide a step-change improvement in the efficiency and carbon intensity of steam methane reforming (SMR) for hydrogen production is being advanced by Honeywell and ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies.

The ZoneFlow Reactor is a structured catalyst module that replaces conventional catalyst pellets in SMR tubes and delivers superior heat transfer and pressure drop performance. Deployed with Honeywell H2 Solutions’ carbon capture for hydrogen production, the system is expected to reduce the cost and boost the efficiency A single catalyst casing element consists of six rows of blades and is engineered to improve heat transfer between the process gas and the tube wall. Source: Florent Minette et al.of low-carbon hydrogen production from natural gas.

Research conducted by ZoneFlow Reactor Technologies has established the heat transfer and pressure drop properties of the SMR reactors relative to conventional catalyst pellets. A dramatic pressure drop-heat transfer advantage of the structured reactors compared to reference pellets at typical industrial SMR conditions was demonstrated.

Reactive testing is ongoing and is expected to validate an expected 15% increase in throughput and reduced carbon dioxide emissions over conventional catalyst pellet systems.