A Closer Look at Autothermal Reforming

At the heart of HyRadix's® hydrogen generation process is a bi-functional monolith autothermal reforming catalyst. The shape of the monolith is similar to a bundle of straws tied together, with the catalyst applied to the inner walls of the straws.

During the hydrogen generation process, the natural gas or LPG feed is converted into a hydrogen rich product by the time the stream reaches the end of the catalyst bed.

The catalyst is considered bi-functional because it promotes two reactions within the same single catalyst bed:

The exothermic (heat generating) partial oxidation reaction:

and

The endothermic (heat consuming) steam reforming reaction:

The conditions within the reactor are selected to balance the heat requirements and maximize hydrogen production efficiency. Because the reaction heat is generated in the catalyst bed (in-situ) and then consumed within the same catalyst bed, there is an extremely efficient transfer of heat resulting in high process efficiency.