Numerical Analysis of Ammonia Cracker using Porous Catalyst for Hydrogen Production

A typical technical problem in a hydrogen society is the difficulty of securing the economic efficiency of hydrogen storage and long-distance transportation. To overcome this issue, a hydrogen carrier is needed that can convert hydrogen to other forms of compounds. Ammonia, in particular, has many practical advantages among hydrogen carriers and is drawing attention as a very suitable substance. Therefore, cracking technology using ammonia into high-purity hydrogen is necessary. In this research, a numerical CFD model of ammonia cracker was developed. Flow and heat transfer characteristics were analyzed by numerical model. Non-uniform temperature distribution causes local cracking reaction of ammonia, and adversely affects hydrogen production process. This research can be used to design large-scale ammonia cracker and efficient hydrogen production process and can contribute to build a hydrogen infrastructure for hydrogen storage/transport/utilization system.