High-Temperature Water-Gas Shift Membrane Reactor Study

NETL’s Office of Research and Development is exploring the integration of membrane reactors into coal gasification plants as a way of increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Water-Gas Shift Reaction experiments were conducted in membrane reactors at conditions similar to those encountered at the outlet of a coal gasifier. The changes in reactant conversion and product selectivity due to the removal of hydrogen via the membrane reactor were quantified. Research was conducted to determine the influence of residence time and H2S on CO conversion in both Pd and Pd80wt%Cu membrane reactors. Effects of the hydrogen sulfide-to-hydrogen ratio on palladium and a palladium-copper alloy at high-temperature were also investigated. These results were compared to thermodynamic calculations for the stability of palladium sulfides