A Joule Heating-Driven Flow-Through SiC Catalytic Membrane Microreactor for Hydrogen Production from Methanol Steam Reforming

A compact and energy-efficient reactor system is essential for advancing hydrogen production technologies based on methanol steam reforming (MSR). However, conventional fixed-bed or externally heated microreactors often suffer from low catalyst utilization, significant heat losses, and poor scalability. In this study, we present a novel flow-through catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) powered by Joule heating in which Cu/ZnO/Al 2 O 3 nanoparticles are immobilized in situ within the microscale pores of a high-thermal-conductivity SiC membrane tube. The system integrates evaporation and reforming zones into a single tube and enables direct internal heating of the catalytic region, minimizing thermal losses and enhancing energy efficiency. Under optimal conditions (300 °C, S/C = 1.5, methanol flow rate = 0.01835 mol min –1 ), the reactor achieved a methanol conversion of 97.55%, a hydrogen volumetric productivity of 157.96 kmol m –3 h –1, and an energy efficiency of 98.61% in the scaled-up design, outperforming conventional porous or foam-supported microreactors. Additionally, the reactor volume required to produce 500 Nm 3 H 2 h –1 was only about 2 m 3, nearly 1 order of magnitude smaller than that of traditional systems. These results demonstrate that the integration of flow-through architecture, catalyst pore confinement, and Joule heating represents a significant advancement in compact, high-efficiency MSR hydrogen production.