Minimization of Exergy Destruction Costs for the Production of Hydrogen from Methane Cracking

In the present work, the conservation principles (energy and species) and the second law of thermodynamics are used to determine the generated entropy in a thermochemical reactor that produces hydrogen from the thermal cracking of methane. The developed model is coupled to a genetic algorithm code to minimize the entropy. Finally, the minimum generated entropy is related with the exergy destruction costs through a thermoeconomic cost balance and the Gouy-Stodola theorem.