A microstructured reactor/heat-exchanger for the water–gas shift reaction operated in the 533–673 K range

A novel microstructured reactor/heat exchanger (MRHE) containing eight sections with each a cross-section of 10 mm × 10 mm and a length of 100 mm has been designed and constructed based on the kinetic model taken from Rebrov et al. [E.V. Rebrov, S.A. Kuznetsov, M.H.J.M. de Croon, J.C. Schouten, Catal. Today 125 (2007) 88]. Each section of the reactor compartment contains flat, perforated Mo plates and Mo wires with a diameter of 250 μm and a length of 100 mm coated with a porous Mo2C layer. In the MRHE, the reactant mixture enters at 673 K and follows the optimal temperature profile which allows to minimize the reactor volume as compared with isothermal operation. The anode fuel cell gas preheated to 533 K is used as a coolant. Two coolant side streams are required to approach the optimal temperature profile in a counter-current MRHE. The start-up time required to heat the MRHE up to the operational temperature does not exceed 2 min.