Hydrogen has attracted growing attention for various uses, and, particularly, for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) supply. However, PEMFCs need high grade hydrogen, which is difficult in storing and transportation. To solve these issues, hydrogen generation from alcohols and hydrocarbons steam reforming reaction has gained great consideration. Among the various renewable fuels, methanol is an interesting hydrogen source because at room temperature it is liquid, and then, easy to handle and to store. Furthermore, it shows a relatively high H/C ratio and low reforming temperature, ranging from 200 to 300 °C. In the field of hydrogen generation from methanol steam reforming reaction, a consistent literature is noticeable. Despite various reviews that are more devoted to describe from an experimental point of view the state of the art about methanol steam reforming reaction carried in conventional and membrane reactors, this work describes the progress in the last two decades about the modelling studies on the same reaction in membrane reactors.
Keywords: hydrogen production; membrane reactors; methanol steam reforming; modelling.