Hydrogen Production from a Victorian Brown Coal with in Situ CO2 Capture in a 1 kWth Dual Fluidized-Bed Gasification Reactor

Abstract

The removal of CO2 during coal gasification will improve H2 yield by promoting coal gasification reactions toward the production of H2. In this work, coal gasification with in situ CO2 capture has been investigated in a 1 kWth dual fluidized-bed gasification reactor. A Victorian brown coal was used as the feed stock. Coal gasification tests at 700 °C were performed with silica sands as the heat carrier and synthetic CaO sorbent for comparison. It was found that the addition of the sorbent improved H2 concentration in the outlet of the fuel reactor by nearly 53%. Carbon conversion rate was also increased and a maximum of ∼33% was reported. Calcium aluminate cement was used as a binder for the fabrication of the synthetic CaO sorbent, in an attempt to enhance its mechanical strength and improve its chemical properties.