Nonlinear dynamic modeling and control of ethanol steam reforming for hydrogen production

Abstract

Copyright © 2025. The Authors. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.

Hydrogen is a key facilitator of smart energy systems, with applications in power generation, transportation, and industry. This article presents a nonlinear dynamic model of ethanol steam reforming (ESR) within an staged separation membrane reactor (SSMR) and explores its application in real-time control. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is implemented to regulate hydrogen output by adjusting ethanol feed to match a step-wise demand profile. Simulation results confirm the model applicability and control effectiveness. This study demonstrates the potential of advanced modeling for hydrogen-based energy applications, paving the way for future research in advanced control design and broader energy systems integration.

This work was supported in part by the Ag`encia de Gesti´o d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR), Generalitat de Catalunya under Grant FI SDUR 2023 and the Spanish project SEAMLESS: Sustainable learning-based Management of Multiresource Large-scale Systems (ref. PID2023-148840OB-I00), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033/FEDER, UE.

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Postprint (published version)