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Membranes
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Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications
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Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2020) | Viewed by 20731

Special Issue Editor

Dr. David Alique

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical, Energy and Mechanical Technology, Rey Juan Carlos University, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
Interests: hydrogen production; process intensification; palladium; supported membranes; membrane reactor
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coupling industrial development and environmental protection is one of the most important challenges for the next few years. From the industrial revolution in the earliest nineteenth century, both the continuous growing population and industrialization of processes have provoked an associated increase of energy demand, waste generation, and pollutants emissions in both water resources and the atmosphere. This human impact on the environment needs to be mitigated during the next few years in order to ensure better sustainability. Among the most popular proposals recommended by scientists as a roadmap, the substitution of the current energy model based on fossil fuels by renewable energies and hydrogen, the reduction of current energy requirements, and the promotion of wastes valorisation into new materials and/or new energy resources can be highlighted. However, CO2 capture processes and wastewater treatments will also be necessary in the meantime to recover previous levels of pollutants in the environment. Of course, the improvement of efficiency in current processes, especially inside the chemical industry, would clearly help to achieve all these goals. In this context, the use of membranes and membrane reactors appears as an attractive technology to be taken into account for ensuring high-purity products with relatively low energy requirements. In fact, membrane reactors are able to integrate both chemical reaction and separation steps in a unique device, providing multiple benefits such as the reduction of the amount of equipment in industrial plants or the possibility to overcome the thermodynamic equilibrium restrictions.

The current Special Issue aims to collect some of the most recent advances in this field, covering from membrane and membrane reactor designs to particular applications in which the use of this technology provides clear advantages against other conventional processes schemes.

Dr. David Alique
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Membrane reactor
  • Process intensification
  • Equilibrium displacement
  • Coupled reactions
  • High-efficiency
  • Hydrogen
  • CO2 capture
  • CO2 conversion
  • Waste valorization
  • Wastewater treatment

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 209 KiB  
Editorial
Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications
by David Alique
Membranes 2021, 11(10), 745; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11100745 - 29 Sep 2021
Viewed by 1191
Abstract
Coupling industrial development and environmental protection is one of the most important challenges for the coming years [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

18 pages, 7141 KiB  
Article
Novel Module-Based Membrane Reactor Design Approach for Improved Operability Performance
by Brent A. Bishop and Fernando V. Lima
Membranes 2021, 11(2), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11020157 - 23 Feb 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2676
Abstract
This work aims to address the design and control challenges caused by the integration of phenomena and the loss of degrees of freedom (DOF) that occur in the intensification of membrane reactor units. First, a novel approach to designing membrane reactor units is [...] Read more.
This work aims to address the design and control challenges caused by the integration of phenomena and the loss of degrees of freedom (DOF) that occur in the intensification of membrane reactor units. First, a novel approach to designing membrane reactor units is proposed. This approach consists of designing smaller modules based on specific phenomena such as heat exchange, reactions, and mass transport and combining them in series to produce the final modular membrane-based unit. This approach to designing membrane reactors is then assessed using a process operability analysis for the first time to maximize the operability index, as a way of quantifying the operational performance of intensified processes. This work demonstrates that by designing membrane reactors in this way, the operability of the original membrane reactor design can be significantly improved, translating to an improvement in achievability for a potential control structure implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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21 pages, 8514 KiB  
Article
Modeling of H2 Permeation through Electroless Pore-Plated Composite Pd Membranes Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
by Alberto Fernández, Cintia Casado, David Alique, José Antonio Calles and Javier Marugán
Membranes 2021, 11(2), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11020123 - 09 Feb 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2909
Abstract
This work focused on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of H2/N2 separation in a membrane permeator module containing a supported dense Pd-based membrane that was prepared using electroless pore-plating (ELP-PP). An easy-to-implement model was developed based on a source–sink [...] Read more.
This work focused on the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of H2/N2 separation in a membrane permeator module containing a supported dense Pd-based membrane that was prepared using electroless pore-plating (ELP-PP). An easy-to-implement model was developed based on a source–sink pair formulation of the species transport and continuity equations. The model also included the Darcy–Forcheimer formulation for modeling the porous stainless steel (PSS) membrane support and Sieverts’ law for computing the H2 permeation flow through the dense palladium film. Two different reactor configurations were studied, which involved varying the hydrogen flow permeation direction (in–out or out–in). A wide range of experimental data was simulated by considering the impact of the operating conditions on the H2 separation, such as the feed pressure and the H2 concentration in the inlet stream. Simulations of the membrane permeator device showed an excellent agreement between the predicted and experimental data (measured as permeate and retentate flows and H2 separation). Molar fraction profiles inside the permeator device for both configurations showed that concentration polarization near the membrane surface was not a limit for the hydrogen permeation but could be useful information for membrane reactor design, as it showed the optimal length of the reactor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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17 pages, 4343 KiB  
Article
Effective H2 Separation through Electroless Pore-Plated Pd Membranes Containing Graphite Lead Barriers
by David Martinez-Diaz, Raúl Sanz, Alicia Carrero, José Antonio Calles and David Alique
Membranes 2020, 10(12), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10120410 - 10 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2220
Abstract
Hydrogen promotion as a clean energy vector could provide an efficient strategy for realizing real decarbonization of the current energy system. Purification steps are usually required in most H2-production processes, providing the use of Pd-based membranes, particularly those supported on porous [...] Read more.
Hydrogen promotion as a clean energy vector could provide an efficient strategy for realizing real decarbonization of the current energy system. Purification steps are usually required in most H2-production processes, providing the use of Pd-based membranes, particularly those supported on porous stainless steel (PSS), important advantages against other alternatives. In this work, new composite membranes were prepared by modifying PSS supports with graphite, as an intermediate layer, before incorporating a palladium film by electroless pore-plating. Fully dense Pd layers were reached, with an estimated thickness of around 17 μm. Permeation measurements were carried out in two different modes: H2 permeation from the inner to the outer side of the membrane (in–out) and in the opposite way (out–in). H2 permeances between 3.24 × 10−4 and 4.33 × 10−4 mol m−2 s−1 Pa−0.5 with αH2/N2 ≥ 10,000 were reached at 350–450 °C when permeating from the outer to the inner surface. Despite a general linear trend between permeating H2 fluxes and pressures, the predicted intercept in (0,0) by the Sieverts’ law was missed due to the partial Pd infiltration inside the pores. H2-permeances progressively decreased up to around 33% for binary H2–N2 mixtures containing 40 vol% N2 due to concentration–polarization phenomena. Finally, the good performance of these membranes was maintained after reversing the direction of the permeate flux. This fact practically demonstrates an adequate mechanical resistance despite generating tensile stress on the Pd layer during operation, which is not accomplished in other Pd membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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15 pages, 3495 KiB  
Article
Flux-Reducing Tendency of Pd-Based Membranes Employed in Butane Dehydrogenation Processes
by Thijs A. Peters, Marit Stange and Rune Bredesen
Membranes 2020, 10(10), 291; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10100291 - 16 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2337
Abstract
We report on the effect of butane and butylene on hydrogen permeation through thin state-of-the-art Pd–Ag alloy membranes. A wide range of operating conditions, such as temperature (200–450 °C) and H2/butylene (or butane) ratio (0.5–3), on the flux-reducing tendency were investigated. [...] Read more.
We report on the effect of butane and butylene on hydrogen permeation through thin state-of-the-art Pd–Ag alloy membranes. A wide range of operating conditions, such as temperature (200–450 °C) and H2/butylene (or butane) ratio (0.5–3), on the flux-reducing tendency were investigated. In addition, the behavior of membrane performance during prolonged exposure to butylene was evaluated. In the presence of butane, the flux-reducing tendency was found to be limited up to the maximum temperature investigated, 450 °C. Compared to butane, the flux-reducing tendency in the presence of butylene was severe. At 400 °C and 20% butylene, the flux decreases by ~85% after 3 h of exposure but depends on temperature and the H2/butylene ratio. In terms of operating temperature, an optimal performance was found at 250–300 °C with respect to obtaining the highest absolute hydrogen flux in the presence of butylene. At lower temperatures, the competitive adsorption of butylene over hydrogen accounts for a large initial flux penalty. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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13 pages, 2955 KiB  
Article
Performance of rGO/TiO2 Photocatalytic Membranes for Hydrogen Production
by Juan Corredor, Eduardo Perez-Peña, Maria J. Rivero and Inmaculada Ortiz
Membranes 2020, 10(9), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10090218 - 01 Sep 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3188
Abstract
Although there are promising environmental and energy characteristics for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen, two main drawbacks must be overcome before the large- scale deployment of the technology becomes a reality, (i) the low efficiency reported by state of the art photocatalysts and, [...] Read more.
Although there are promising environmental and energy characteristics for the photocatalytic production of hydrogen, two main drawbacks must be overcome before the large- scale deployment of the technology becomes a reality, (i) the low efficiency reported by state of the art photocatalysts and, (ii) the short life time and difficult recovery of the photocatalyst, issues that need research and development for new high performance catalysts. In this work 2% rGO/TiO2 composite photocatalysts were supported over Nafion membranes and the performance of the photocatalytic membrane was tested for hydrogen production from a 20% vol. methanol solution. Immobilization of the composite on Nafion membranes followed three different simple methods which preserve the photocatalyst structure: solvent-casting (SC), spraying (SP), and dip-coating (DP). The photocatalyst was included in the matrix membrane using the SC method, while it was located on the membrane surface in the SP and DP membranes showing less mass transfer limitations. The performance of the synthesized photocatalytic membranes for hydrogen production under UVA light irradiation was compared. Leaching of the catalytic membranes was tested by measuring the turbidity of the solution. With respect to catalyst leaching, both the SC and SP membranes provided very good results, the leaching being lower with the SC membrane. The best results in terms of initial hydrogen production rate (HPR) were obtained with the SP and DP membrane. The SP was selected as the most suitable method for photocatalytic hydrogen production due to the high HPR and the negligible photocatalyst leaching. Moreover, the stability of this membrane was studied for longer operation times. This work helps to improve the knowledge on the application of photocatalytic membranes for hydrogen production and contributes in facilitating the large-scale application of this process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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15 pages, 3640 KiB  
Article
An On-Board Pure H2 Supply System Based on A Membrane Reactor for A Fuel Cell Vehicle: A Theoretical Study
by Payam Parvasi, Seyyed Mohammad Jokar, Angelo Basile and Adolfo Iulianelli
Membranes 2020, 10(7), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10070159 - 21 Jul 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3042
Abstract
In this novel conceptual fuel cell vehicle (FCV), an on-board CH4 steam reforming (MSR) membrane reformer (MR) is considered to generate pure H2 for supplying a Fuel Cell (FC) system, as an alternative to the conventional automobile engines. Two on-board tanks [...] Read more.
In this novel conceptual fuel cell vehicle (FCV), an on-board CH4 steam reforming (MSR) membrane reformer (MR) is considered to generate pure H2 for supplying a Fuel Cell (FC) system, as an alternative to the conventional automobile engines. Two on-board tanks are forecast to store CH4 and water, useful for feeding both a combustion chamber (designed to provide the heat required by the system) and a multi tubes Pd-Ag MR useful to generate pure H2 via methane steam reforming (MSR) reaction. The pure H2 stream is hence supplied to the FC. The flue gas stream coming out from the combustion chamber is used to preheat the MR feed stream by two heat exchangers and one evaporator. Then, this theoretical work demonstrates by a 1-D model the feasibility of the MR based system in order to generate 5 kg/day of pure H2 required by the FC system for cruising a vehicle for around 500 km. The calculated CH4 and water consumptions were 50 and 70 kg, respectively, per 1 kg of pure H2. The on-board MR based FCV presents lower CO2 emission rates than a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle, also resulting in a more environmentally friendly solution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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24 pages, 3856 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of the Oxidative Coupling of Methane in a Porous Membrane Reactor: Relevance of Back-Permeation
by Aitor Cruellas, Wout Ververs, Martin van Sint Annaland and Fausto Gallucci
Membranes 2020, 10(7), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10070152 - 14 Jul 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2458
Abstract
Novel reactor configurations for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), and in particular membrane reactors, contribute toward reaching the yield required to make the process competitive at the industrial scale. Therefore, in this work, the conventional OCM packed bed reactor using a Mn-Na [...] Read more.
Novel reactor configurations for the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), and in particular membrane reactors, contribute toward reaching the yield required to make the process competitive at the industrial scale. Therefore, in this work, the conventional OCM packed bed reactor using a Mn-Na2WO4/SiO2 catalyst was experimentally compared with a membrane reactor, in which a symmetric MgO porous membrane was integrated. The beneficial effects of distributive feeding of oxygen along the membrane, which is the main advantage of the porous membrane reactor, were demonstrated, although no significant differences in terms of performance were observed because of the adverse effects of back-permeation prevailing in the experiments. A sensitivity analysis carried out on the effective diffusion coefficient also indicated the necessity of properly tuning the membrane properties to achieve the expected promising results, highlighting how this tuning could be addressed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Reactors for Process Intensification: Recent Advances and Key Applications)
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