ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on mathematical modeling, simulation, and design of high-temperature catalytic membrane reactors. The first high-temperature catalytic membrane reactors in operation used metallic membranes. In a general sense, solid oxide fuel cells represent a special group of catalytic membrane reactors. The preceding discussion was intended to familiarize the reader with the history and current status of catalytic membrane reactors. Membrane reactors combine reaction and separation in a single unit operation, the membrane selectively removing one of the reacting or product species. The microporous ceramic membranes used in all membrane reactor studies so far can at best separate the various gases according to the Knudsen diffusion law. The model for the multiphase membrane reactor contains momentum and mass balance terms for the tube side, reaction and radial diffusion terms in the membrane, and mass and momentum balance equations in the shell side, when axial gradients are assumed or the modified equations for describing completely stirred conditions.
