EUBCE 2024 - Thanos VADARLIS - Boosting Hydrogen Production from Supercritical Water Gasification of Ethanol Through Subsequent Steam Reforming of the Product Gas

Boosting Hydrogen Production from Supercritical Water Gasification of Ethanol Through Subsequent Steam Reforming of the Product Gas

Short Introductive summary

In the process of supercritical water gasification (SCWG), simple biomass model compounds, such as ethanol, yield a product gas primarily composed of hydrogen, methane, carbon oxides, and minor amounts of higher hydrocarbons (C2 – C4). It has been found, that a significant amount of hydrogen is trapped in the hydrocarbons, mainly in methane. This study introduces an innovative approach that combines SCWG of water-soluble organic substances with a sequential steam reforming process that will increase the yield of generated H2. In the proposed process the gaseous product from gasification is directed into a steam reforming reactor. In this reactor, hydrocarbons are eliminated through their reaction with steam, a process conducted at moderate temperatures ranging from 700 to 800 °C and pressures of up to 40 bar.

A. Vadarlis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GERMANY
N. Boukis, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GERMANY
A. Lemonidou, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GREECE
J. Sauer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, GERMANY