Watlow was selected by Raven SR Inc. as a thermal technology partner for the field trial of its non-combustion equilibrium steam/carbon dioxide Reforming SR2 unit. The system converts methane to transportation-grade hydrogen.
According to Raven SR, the SR2 reactor performed successfully at a rate exceeding other commercially available technologies for hydrogen production from methane.
Raven’s steam/CO2 reforming process transforms waste into synthetic gas, which is then converted into renewable energy products including hydrogen, sulfur and nitrogen-free Fischer-Tropsch synthetic fuels and additives and solvents.
The SR2 reactor utilizes Watlow’s zero-emissions electric heater technology to power Raven’s reductive chemical reaction, which eliminates combustion and converts all feedstock into fuel rather than incinerating it. Watlow’s thermal system includes high temperature heaters, pre-engineered control panels and temperature and power controllers. In addition, Watlow engineers developed an IoT device that provides a cloud-connected dashboard for data logging, near real-time monitoring of system output and visualization of thermal performance.