Microwaves heating is nowadays a mature technology and has been identified as one of the process intensification methods for industrial applications. In relevant industrial reactions with a highly energy demand, such as steam reforming for H2 production, microwaves are a valid alternative: they provide fast and selective heating, if compared with traditional heat sources (steam, electrical resistance, direct flame).
We developed and validated a simulation model in Comsol Multiphysics for an accurate temperature control in an oven heated by microwaves, then we realized a fixed bed reactor, for carrying out catalytic endothermic reactions occurring at high temperatures (> 600°C).
