A comprehensive approach for hydrogen production from crude glycerol: Process synthesis, energy integration, and storage

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive technique for the production of hydrogen (H2), storage of H2, and energy integration aspects in a single synthesis frame. The crude glycerol, which is derived from waste sources, is being used as a raw material for the production of H2, with the implementation of Aspen Plus software. To further resolve the storage issues, H2 is converted to methanol (CH3OH). The initial crude glycerol undergoes a series of unit operations and processes, such as saponification, acidification, and distillation, to transform it into purified glycerol. Then, using glycerol steam reforming, the generated glycerol is combined with steam to produce H2, where 68 mol% of H2 is produced. The storage and transportation of H2 is a crucial undertaking for several industries. To address this challenge, a unique strategy involves the conversion of H2 into CH3OH through a series of processes, including compression, methanation, and fractionation. Further, a comprehensive evaluation of the entire process is conducted from the perspective of process integration. The design of a heat integration network is customized to each production process. Two key factors—flow and cost—determine the net energy savings. The analysis reveals that 41.44 % of utilities achieve savings based on flow, while 14.24 % achieve savings based on cost.