AbstractHeat and mass transfer characteristics within a reforming catalyst bed have been analytically investigated. A numerical analysis was carried out in a two‐dimensional steady‐state model of a reforming catalyst bed. The reforming tube was filled with catalyst and the tube wall was uniformly heated; a mixture of steam and methane was reformed through the catalyst bed. The predicted distributions of temperature, formed gas composition, methane conversion rate, and heat transfer coefficient in the catalyst bed are in good agreement with the experimental data. The effects of space velocity, steam carbon molar ratio, and wall temperature on the heat transfer coefficient were analytically presented. From temperature and composition distributions simulated by the two‐dimensional analysis, the effects of the above‐mentioned factors and diffusion on both heat and mass transport phenomena were qualitatively predicted. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 32(4): 367–380, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.10101