Affiliations: Institute of Electrotechnology, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: T. Fehling, Institute of Electrotechnology, Leibniz University of Hannover, Wilhelm-Busch-Str. 4, 30167 Hannover, Germany. Tel.: +49 511 762 2366; Fax: +49 511 762-3275; E-mail:[email protected]
Abstract: In our modern society hydrogen is an important
alternative energy source for current and future applications in fuel cells
as well as coolants or hydrogenation of coal. To achieve an environmentally
compatible production of hydrogen, another method of thermal decomposition,
is discovered. In this process methane is injected with an orifice at the
bottom of an bubble column reactor that is filled with liquid tin. While
rising up in the reactor, the methane bubbles do a chemical decomposition
reaction into hydrogen and carbon, which is depending on the tin
temperature. In this article a numerical model for the methane bubble flow
inside the tin melt is described. For that case residence times and flow
structures are discovered depending on different heating systems of the melt - heating coil and electromagnetic field. In the following studies different
inlets types as well as installations like packed beds are discovered to
view their influence on higher residence times and efficiency of the
reaction.
