UCLA

This work develops a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework for high-fidelity modeling

of steam methane reforming reactors and furnaces. Initially, a CFD model for a steam

methane reforming reactor is developed and its results are shown to closely match industrial

plant data. Subsequently, CFD models of steam methane reforming furnaces are developed

for both pilot-scale and full industrial scale furnaces. These furnace CFD models capture the

physical dimension, transport phenomena, and core components of a reformer utilized in an

industrial plant. Comparison of the CFD models with industrial plant data demonstrates that

model predictions are within 1% of industrial measurements for consistent reformer conditions.

Finally, to automate the use of the CFD models for reformer furnace balancing, we

develop a workflow for reformer simulation on the Smart Manufacturing platform. The workflow

is designed to be executed without the need of an expert user, to be deployed in a cloud

environment and to be fully or partially used.