Development and analysis of electrified combined reforming of methane and CO2 based on induction and resistance heating

This article provides a comprehensive computational study of electrified combined reforming of methane (E-CRM) using induction and resistance heating methods. Three reactor models were compared: induction by a stainless-steel wall, induction by a stainless-steel rod inside the reactor, and resistance using an internal electric wire. CFD models are implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics, incorporating fluid flow, heat and mass transport, reaction kinetics, electromagnetic fields, and electric current physics. Our results showed that wall-based induction is the most efficient configuration compared to the other ones, with 94 % methane conversion at the minimum power requirement of 26.47 kWh/kg CH₄ converted and maximum heating efficiency of 30.6 %. Moreover, the time-dependent results showed that the wall induction configuration had the fastest response to reach the steady state condition in under 10 min. The scale-up of the system to an industrial-scale CO₂ reforming resulted in the induction-heated technology being able to reach a high level of heating efficiency, with reactor volume being reduced by nearly 44 % compared to conventional steam methane reformers. These results demonstrate the potential for electrification, particularly the use of induction heating for reactor walls, to be a scalable and efficient method for the sustainable production of syngas and methanol from CO₂. Finally, an assessment of net CO₂ emissions as a function of grid carbon intensity emphasizes that substantial decarbonization is achievable when these technologies are integrated with low-carbon electricity sources.