This study involves the application of a tubular fixed-bed catalytic membrane reactor to effect equilibrium-shift during the catalytic dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene and hydrogen. The specific characteristic behaviour of the reactor to shift the equilibrium was analysed using a two-dimensional mathematical model which was solved using the orthogonal collocation method. An important extrinsic variable, the time factor (W/F-Ao) was manipulated to yield results which were then used to explain reactor performance. Experimental results showed that under optimal conditions an eight-fold shift in the equilibrium conversion could be attained. Generally, good agreement was obtained between model and experimental predictions for reactor operation using pure nitrogen as sweep gas. When air was employed as sweep, the agreement was not as expected; possibly due to oxidation of the Pd surface.