Fiber Optic Sensors Based on Fiber Bragg Gratings for Methanol Steam Reforming Temperature Monitoring

The feasibility of using a fiber optic sensor based on fiber Bragg gratings for temperature monitoring in a methanol steam reforming reactor is demonstrated. Three fiber Bragg gratings are placed along the length of the catalyst plate of a test reactor and methanol is pumped through the reactor to react with steam and form hydrogen. The temperature changes at different locations along the length of the reformer are measured for a variety of flow rates. These are in good agreement with the reference thermocouples and the theoretical behaviour of an endothermic chemical reaction. These findings indicate the potential to use fiber Bragg gratings to monitor the temperature profile inside methanol steam reforming reactors.