Methane steam reforming, methanation and water‐gas shift: I. Intrinsic kinetics

Abstract Intrinsic rate equations were derived for the steam reforming of methane, accompanied by water‐gas shift on a Ni/MgAl 2 O 4 catalyst. A large number of detailed reaction mechanisms were considered. Thermodynamic analysis helped in reducing the number of possible mechanisms. Twenty one sets of three rate equations were retained and subjected to model discrimination and parameter estimation. The parameter estimates in the best model are statistically significant and thermodynamically consistent.