Experimental investigation on the feasibility of integrating heat pipe in fixed-bed reactor for dry reforming of methane

Dry reforming of methane (DRM) is of great significance for alleviating the pressure of global warming. However, since DRM is a highly endothermic process, its industrial applications are hindered due to the problems of inefficiencies and large temperature gradients in conventional reactors. To address these limitations, this work explores the integration of a high-temperature heat pipe into a fixed-bed reactor (HP-FBR) for DRM. An HP-FBR was experimentally investigated and compared with a traditional FBR based on bench-scale tests. The results show that the heat pipe can enhance the heat transfer in the fixed catalyst bed to substantially reduce the axial temperature gradient. Under the conditions of relatively low operational temperatures (570–700 °C) and high feed ratios of CH₄/CO₂, HP-FBR demonstrates higher conversion efficiency than the conventional FBR. In addition, a longevity test with 100 h for the HP-FBR was conducted to evaluate its stability. Challenges such as the hydrogen inactivation and surface corrosion of the heat pipe, and the carbon deposition of catalysts were also discussed. This work provides a comprehensive insight for the industrialization of DRM reactors based on high-temperature heat pipes.