Biomass Gasification For Hydrogen Production Research Articles

Thermodynamic investigation of biomass-steam gasification in converter vaporisation flue for synthesis gas production

Biomass gasification for hydrogen production is a highly promising technology for energy conversion and utilisation. This paper proposed a novel technology for the injection of biomass and steam into the flue of a converter vaporisation to produce hydrogen-rich syngas. The feasibility of hydrogen generation through gasification between biomass, steam, and carbon dioxide in the high-temperature flue gas was investigated based on the thermodynamic principle of Gibbs free energy minimisation. The influence of gasification parameters on the composition of syngas was also explored. The results indicate that in the gasification process, biomass and steam injected into the converter vaporisation flue can effectively inhibit the generation of by-products such as tar. As the steam volume increases, the volume fraction of hydrogen in the product also increases, while the concentration of carbon monoxide decreases. By adjusting the steam-to-biomass ratio, syngas with a hydrogen content exceeding 20% can be produced. At a reaction temperature of 1200 °C, with a steam addition of 5%, a biomass addition of 8 g/L, and a [Formula: see text] ratio of 3, the gas products are composed of 25% hydrogen and 67% carbon dioxide. The process has the potential to achieve a hydrogen yield of up to 90%, a syngas yield of 94%, and a CO2 conversion rate of 70%. Additionally, the lower heating value of the syngas is measured at 11.24 MJ/Nm3. The research results have confirmed the viability of the new technology, thus establishing a theoretical foundation for the industrial implementation of injecting biomass and steam into the converter vaporisation flue to produce hydrogen-rich syngas.

Low-emission hydrogen production from gasification of Australian coals – Process simulation and technoeconomic assessment

Although renewable energy-based technologies such as water electrolysis and biomass gasification for hydrogen production are cleaner than fossil energy-based routes, there are still prevailing challenges associated with the high cost and operational challenges in the scale-up of those technologies in the short term. Considering the abundance of coal as a current primary source of energy in Australia, the use of coal to produce hydrogen is not only in line with Australia's resource endowment but is also expected to become a supplement to the other hydrogen production pathways during the global energy transition period. This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic assessment of low-emission hydrogen production from Australian coal gasification integrated with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The study explores four cases of hydrogen production, comparing Australian brown coal (Victorian brown coal) and black coal (Queensland black coal) gasification. Variations in gasifiers, gasification agents, and associated operating conditions contribute to differences in energy efficiency, costs, and CO2 emissions among the cases. The findings reveal a levelized cost of hydrogen from coal gasification ranging between A$4.12–4.90 per kg of hydrogen. Notably, entrained flow gasification of Victorian brown coal in a mixture of oxygen and steam environment demonstrates advantages under the current market conditions. However, less mature technologies like dual fluidized bed gasifiers could emerge as viable alternatives if deployed on a commercial scale. The study also addresses direct carbon emissions from the process, indicating a CO2 emission intensity range of 16.3–20.9 kg CO2/kg H2 without CCS and 0.1–1.1 kg CO2/kg H2 with CCS for the four cases. These insights contribute valuable information for decision-making in the pursuit of sustainable and economically feasible hydrogen production methods during the ongoing energy transition.

Optimization of molecular dynamics in hydrogen production through phenol gasification in supercritical water

Phenol serves as a crucial intermediate in the biomass conversion process, and its solubility or conversion rate in the aqueous phase is a determining factor for the prerequisite conditions and rate of biomass gasification for hydrogen production. In this study, we utilized the ReaxFF reactive force field in conjunction with density functional theory to investigate the optimized molecular dynamics of phenol gasification for hydrogen production in supercritical water. The research systematically explored phenol gasification for hydrogen production in supercritical water under varying reaction temperatures, residence times, and relative concentrations, comprehensively analyzing the gasification mechanisms. Results indicate that under conditions of 4000 K, 0.4644 g mL−1, and 750,000 steps residence time, the hydrogen gasification rate reaches a maximum of approximately 80 %. The reaction temperature exhibits a positive correlation with gasification efficiency, while residence times and relative concentration also impact hydrogen yield. Furthermore, phenol in supercritical water predominantly exhibits two ring-opening pathways: one involves the initial dehydrogenation by removing a hydrogen atom connected to phenol itself, followed by subsequent ring-opening; the other entails the prior removal of a hydrogen atom attached to the hydroxyl group, leading to eventual ring-opening. The energy disparity for the final ring-opening in these pathways is not significant, both approximately at 880 Ha. In this system, H2O not only serves as the reaction medium but also provides essential free radical ions for the reaction, ultimately resulting in hydrogen gas generation. This study offers theoretical guidance for enhancing hydrogen production in biomass supercritical water processes.

Molecular dynamics simulation of gasification technology to produce hydrogen from biomass at different initial pressures in the presence of platinum catalyst

Biomass is a renewable source of energy obtained from biological materials. Gasification technology is commonly used to produce hydrogen (H2) from biomass. This method is based on the partial oxidation of the input materials and their conversion into synthetic gas. After gasification, the biomass is converted into a gas consisting of H2, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and other compounds. This research investigates the number of H2 molecules (n(H2)) and CO molecules (n(CO)) in the basic structure at a temperature and pressure of 1 bar and 1800 K. Additionally, the effect of initial pressure (IP) changes on the n(H2) and n(CO) produced with a 10 % volume fraction of platinum (Pt) catalyst was evaluated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results demonstrate that the produced n(H2) and n(CO) increase from 559 to 146 to 586 and 165, increasing the Pt nanocatalyst ratio from 1 % to 10 %. Furthermore, the n(H2) and n(CO) increase from 586 to 165 to 598 and 175, respectively, by increasing the IP from 1 to 5 bar. Also, the results reveal that the combustion efficiency (CE) increases from 62 % to 66 % with increasing IP from 1 to 5 bar. The application of this research is to study the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from biomass using gasification technology. This information can be useful for improving the efficiency of biomass gasification for hydrogen production.

Intensification of two-stage biomass gasification for hydrogen production

Hydrogen production from wood pellets was investigated using a modulus two-stage gasification. The results showed that up to 88 mg H2/g wood pellets, which is 1.3 times higher than the theoretical hydrogen from feedstock (around 65 mg/g), was obtained at temperatures below 1000 °C. Combining CO2 and steam as gasifying agents resulted in a 6% increase in the gas yield and up to 93% reduction in tar content (0.03g/Nm3) compared to steam gasification (0.5–0.7 g/Nm3). Although the hydrogen content in the gas stream was similar in both cases of steam and CO2-steam gasification (88 mg/g pellets), the CO2 content in the gas stream from CO2-steam gasification was reduced by 12%–17% compared with steam gasification. The H2/CO ratio in the gas stream was between 3.2 and 3.8 for steam gasification and 1.6–2.3 for CO2-steam gasification. The cold gas efficiency (a ratio of calorific value of products to that of wood pellets) of CO2-steam gasification was up to 14–16% higher than that of steam-gasification due to higher CO content in the gas. It can be concluded that using CO2- steam two-stage gasification increases the process efficiency and sustainability by utilising carbon source in CO2 emission.

Techno-economic analysis of biomass gasification for hydrogen production in three US-based case studies

Production of low-emissions hydrogen can improve the sustainability of certain hard-to-decarbonize sectors, like industrial and residential heating. Gasification of biomass has been identified as a promising production method for high-volume clean hydrogen, but uncertainty around its economic conditions have prevented it from being used in practice. This work evaluates the economics of three potential gasification facilities in the United States to identify the optimal conditions for a successful hydrogen plant. The locations were selected based on local policies that create a need for high volume clean hydrogen by regulating natural gas emissions. Local features, like biomass type, availability, and distance between the biomass and hydrogen market, are taken into account. A novel simulation is used to build upon previous models to determine the effects of biomass composition on hydrogen yield and utility usage. The environmental impact of each location is then assessed using GREET, Argonne's greenhouse gas emissions quantification tool, to determine the plant's qualifications for tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Ultimately, the cost of transported hydrogen in a 40 metric ton/day facility was calculated to be $3.47/kg H2 in Klamath County, Oregon (which serves both the Oregon and California markets), $4.11/kg H2 in Park County, Colorado, and $3.63/kg H2 in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. A sensitivity analysis found transportation distance and biomass availability to be major factors in these costs. Variability in biomass composition had minimal effects on plant performance.

In situ adsorption of CO2 to enhance biomass gasification for hydrogen production using Ca/Ni based composites

The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continues to rise, leading to serious climate problems, such as global warming and the increase in the frequency of extreme weather. CO2 is the main contributor of greenhouse gases, accounting for 70% of greenhouse gas composition. The combustion of fossil fuels is the main source of CO2 emission in the atmosphere. Biomass energy has always been an important renewable clean energy for human survival. It is the fourth largest energy consumption in the world after coal, oil and natural gas, and plays an important role in the whole energy system. This study aims to develop a novel composite catalyst (Ni–Ce–Ca-ceramic membrane), and to evaluate its catalytic activity and CO2 adsorption capability during biomass gasification. Pine sawdust was used as feedstock for biomass gasification, and a two-stage fixed-bed reactor was used as gasification equipment. MCM-41-ceramic membrane support (MC support) was prepared by coating method, and the composite catalyst (Ni–Ce–Ca-ceramic membrane) was prepared by equal volume impregnation method. The catalyst has the functions of adsorption and catalysis at the same time. While adsorbing CO2, the catalyst can promote biomass gasification to produce hydrogen, and improve the syngas composition of biomass gasification. Not only can it reduce CO2 emission in the atmosphere, but it can also promote the use of biomass energy and reduce the use of fossil fuels. Furthermore, optimal operating conditions (i.e. Ca loading amount, reaction temperature and the ratio of Ni to Ce) of the Ni–Ce–Ca-ceramic membrane catalysts were also investigated. The results show that when the Ca loading amount is 20 wt%, the reaction temperature is 800 °C and the ratio of Ni to Ce is 2:1, the CO2 content in the syngas composition of biomass gasification is the lowest, which is 8.18 vol%. The minimum CO2 yield is 2.1 mmol/g, the maximum hydrogen yield is 14.19 mmol/g, and the lower heating value is greater than 10 MJ/Nm3. Through BET, XRD and SEM analyses, it was found that the prepared catalysts had good structure performance and good adsorption performance. The X-ray diffraction of the used catalyst shows that CaO in the catalysts adsorbs CO2 and produces CaCO3. The supported metals can be well dispersed on the surface of the catalysts. The research results show that the composite catalyst (Ni–Ce–Ca-ceramic membrane) prepared by using ceramic membrane as support can effectively capture CO2 produced from biomass gasification and promote hydrogen production in gasification.

Review on Catalytic Biomass Gasification for Hydrogen Production as a Sustainable Energy Form and Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political Analysis of Catalysts.

Sustainable energy production is a worldwide concern due to the adverse effects and limited availability of fossil fuels, requiring the development of suitable environmentally friendly alternatives. Hydrogen is considered a sustainable future energy source owing to its unique properties as a clean and nontoxic fuel with high energy yield and abundance. Hydrogen can be produced through renewable and nonrenewable sources where the production method and feedstock used are indicators of whether they are carbon-neutral or not. Biomass is one of the renewable hydrogen sources that is also available in large quantities and can be used in different conversion methods to produce fuel, heat, chemicals, etc. Biomass gasification is a promising technology to generate carbon-neutral hydrogen. However, tar production during this process is the biggest obstacle limiting hydrogen production and commercialization of biomass gasification technology. This review focuses on hydrogen production through catalytic biomass gasification. The effect of different catalysts to enhance hydrogen production is reviewed, and social, technological, economic, environmental, and political (STEEP) analysis of catalysts is carried out to demonstrate challenges in the field and the development of catalysts.

Optimisation of two-stage biomass gasification for hydrogen production via artificial neural network

A two-stage gasification has been proven as an effective and robust approach for converting low-valued and/or highly heterogeneous materials i.e. waste, into hydrogen and/or syngas due to its tight control and flexibility in operation. As the gas yield and gas properties depend upon materials and operating conditions, the interactions of operating conditions should not be ignored. However, these have not been able to fully capture experimentally. In this work, an artificial neural network model was developed and validated using experimental data to predict and optimise the gasification process thereby reducing time and costs in developing and testing. The model can predict accurately gas composition and yield corresponding to the variations at the output with a correlation R2 > 0.99. The developed neural network model was then applied for optimising operating conditions of the two-stage gasification for high carbon conversion, high hydrogen yield and low carbon dioxide in nitrogen and carbon dioxide environments. The predicted conditions were tested, and the results agreed well with experimental data. For example, at the optimum operating conditions (900˚C for the 1st stage and 1000 °C for the 2nd stage with a steam/carbon ratio of 3.8 in nitrogen and 5.7 in carbon dioxide environments), the gas yield, hydrogen and carbon dioxide were 96.2 wt%, 70 mol% and 16.4 mol% for nitrogen environment and 97.2 wt%, 66 mol% and 12 mol% for carbon dioxide environment.

Comparative assessment of renewable energy-based hydrogen production methods

Hydrogen is acknowledged as a potential fuel as it can be used as an energy carrier, a storage medium, in fuel cells and as a fuel as well and offers carbon-free solutions. This paper investigates three renewable energy based configurations for hydrogen production. The renewable energy sources considered in this study are solar PV, geothermal power generation and biomass gasification. The proposed study also presents a novel configuration of biomass gasification for hydrogen production via multistage water gas shift reactors. The solar PV and geothermal energy based hydrogen production systems are analysed employing the EES software while the hydrogen production system employing biomass gasification is simulated employing Aspen Plus. All three designed configurations are proceeded through numerous parametric analyses to investigate the system behavior and effect on system efficiencies. The hydrogen production using biomass gasification technique provides with the energetic and exergetic efficiencies of 53.6% and 49.8% and the efficiencies for the geothermal power generation based hydrogen production system are found to be 10.4% and 10.2% respectively. The exergetic and energetic efficiencies of hydrogen production system employing solar PV system are found to be 17.45% and 16.95%, respectively and the system is designed to produce 1.13 mol/s of hydrogen. Furthermore, the results of the parametric studies and sensitivity analyses are presented and discussed.

Neural network modeling of biomass gasification for hydrogen production

ABSTRACTHydrogen plays a significant role as an alternative feedstock in the production of several industrial chemicals such as methanol and ammonia; it can also be used as a clean fuel for power generation in the Internal Combustion (IC) engines and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells. The main objective of this work is to develop a computer-based model based on the experimental data to predict the gasification behavior of biomass particles for hydrogen and syngas production. The results showed that an increase in gasification temperature significantly increased the hydrogen yield and CGE. The maximum CGE also found to be increased by about 230% when the reaction temperature increases from 700 to 900 ◦C.

Solar receiver/reactor for hydrogen production with biomass gasification in supercritical water

A novel receiver/reactor driven by concentrating solar energy for hydrogen production by supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of biomass was designed, constructed and tested. Model compound (glucose) and real biomass (corncob) were successfully gasified under SCW conditions to generate hydrogen-rich fuel gas in the apparatus. It is found that the receiver/reactor temperature increased with the increment of the direct normal solar irradiation (DNI). Effects of the DNI, the flow rates and concentration of the feedstocks as well as alkali catalysts addition were investigated. The results showed that DNI and flow rates of reactants have prominent effects on the temperature of reactor wall and gasification results. Higher DNI and lower feed concentrations favor the biomass gasification for hydrogen production. The encouraging results indicate a promising approach for hydrogen production with biomass gasification in supercritical water using concentrated solar energy.

Woody waste air gasification in fluidized bed with Ca- and Mg-modified bed materials and additives

This study focuses on the promotion of biomass gasification for hydrogen production in a fluidized bed reactor with the bed additives zeolite, CaO, and Ca- and Mg-based silica sands. The results show that zeolite has higher capacity for enhancing hydrogen promotion abilities than CaO with the amount was 200 g in tests. Regarding the Ca- and Mg-based silica sands, Ca/SiO2 decreases the CO2 selectivity and Mg/SiO2 enhances the H2 selectivity owing to CO2 adsorption via the formation of CaO and the promotion of the water gas shift reaction, respectively. The optimal concentration of Mg-based bed materials corresponds to a Mg concentration of 0.5 wt.%. The additives play important roles in increasing the reaction rate, enhancing the biomass gasification, and promoting carbon transformation.

Hydrogen production by biomass gasification in a fluidized-bed reactor promoted by an Fe/CaO catalyst

Biomass gasification for hydrogen production was performed in a continuous-feeding fluidized-bed with the use of Fe/CaO catalysts. The relationship between catalyst properties and biomass gasification efficiencies was studied. The findings indicated that only CaO was involved in the enhancement of char gasification, resulting in an increased hydrogen production. However, CaO was also easily deactivated by biomass tar. The characterization results indicated that when CaO was impregnated with Fe, Ca2Fe2O5 formed on the surface of the support. Ca2Fe2O5 decomposed polyaromatic tar but was not effective in char gasification. The synergistic effects between Fe and CaO that effectively enhanced biomass gasification mainly involved combustion and pyrolysis, and the biomass gasification products, i.e., char and tar, were further gasified, indicating that tailor-made Fe/CaO catalysts prevented CaO deactivation by tar, thus promoting biomass gasification and hydrogen production.

A review on biomass-based hydrogen production and potential applications

In this paper, a detailed review is presented to discuss biomass-based hydrogen production systems and their applications. Some optimum hydrogen production and operating conditions are studied through a comprehensive sensitivity analysis on the hydrogen yield from steam biomass gasification. In addition, a hybrid system, which combines a biomass-based hydrogen production system and a solid oxide fuel cell unit is considered for performance assessment. A comparative thermodynamic study also is undertaken to investigate various operational aspects through energy and exergy efficiencies. The results of this study show that there are various key parameters affecting the hydrogen production process and system performance. They also indicate that it is possible to increase the hydrogen yield from 70 to 107 g H2 per kg of sawdust wood. By studying the energy and exergy efficiencies, the performance assessment shows the potential to produce hydrogen from steam biomass gasification. The study further reveals a strong potential of this system as it utilizes steam biomass gasification for hydrogen production. To evaluate the system performance, the efficiencies are calculated at particular pressures, temperatures, current densities, and fuel utilization factors. It is found that there is a strong potential in the gasification temperature range 1023–1423 K to increase energy efficiency with a hydrogen yield from 45 to 55% and the exergy efficiency with hydrogen yield from 22 to 32%, respectively, whereas the exergy efficiency of electricity production decreases from 56 to 49.4%. Hydrogen production by steam sawdust gasification appears to be an ultimate option for hydrogen production based on the parametric studies and performance assessments that were carried out through energy and exergy efficiencies. Finally, the system integration is an attractive option for better performance. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biomass gasification for hydrogen production

The objective of this study is to investigate the biomass gasification to produce the bio-hydrogen and syngas in a fluidized bed. α-cellulose and other agriculture waste were gasified at the temperature of 600–1000 °C with respect to different equivalent and steam to biomass ratios were studied. The yield of the bio-hydrogen, syngas, and the other products were analyzed to maximize the yield of bio-hydrogen or the syngas. A kinetic model to determine the order of the reaction and activation energy is also proposed. Current results suggested that at the equivalent ratio of 0.2 and 1000 °C without steam achieved the maximum yield of the bio-hydrogen (29.5%) and CO (23.6%). CO 2 concentration at this condition is 10.9% only. The yield of the H 2 and CO, which is called syngas in the industrial, can be further used for the liquid fuel production or gas cleanup to produce hydrogen.

Thermodynamic modeling and analysis of biomass gasification for hydrogen production in supercritical water

Abstract Biomass gasification in supercritical water is a promising technology for hydrogen production by utilizing wet biomass. A new experimental system of biomass gasification in supercritical water was built in SKLMF. In this paper, a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis, including chemical equilibrium in the reactor, gas–liquid equilibrium in the high-pressure separator, exergy and energy analysis of the whole system, was conducted. Chemical equilibrium model is based on minimizing Gibbs free energy. By chemical equilibrium analysis in the reactor, rules of the main parametric effects on biomass gasification in supercritical water are obtained. Simultaneously, a high-pressure gas–liquid equilibrium model was proposed based on modified universal functional activity coefficient (UNIFAC) model, Soave–Redlich–Kwong (SRK) equation of state and modified Huron–Vidal second-order (MHV2) mixing rule. Effects of pressure, temperature and water recycled ratio on gas–liquid equilibrium in high-pressure separation were discussed. Finally, results from energy and exergy analysis show that energy and exergy efficiencies of the whole system are in excess of 40% and increase with increasing heat transfer efficiencies. Energy loss of the system is caused mainly by heat transfer and exergy loss is mainly caused by heat transfer and chemical reaction. Our research provided a thermodynamic tool for improvement of design and operation optimization of biomass gasification system in SKLMF, which may be also applicable to other biomass gasification system.

The technical feasibility of biomass gasification for hydrogen production

Biomass gasification for energy or hydrogen production is a field in continuous evolution, due to the fact that biomass is a renewable and CO 2 neutral source. The ability to produce biomass-derived vehicle fuel on a large scale will help to reduce greenhouse gas and pollution, increase the security of European energy supplies, and enhance the use of renewable energy. The Värnamo Biomass Gassification Centre in Sweden is a unique plant and an important site for the development of innovative technologies for biomass transformation. At the moment, the Värnamo plant is the heart of the CHRISGAS European project, that aims to convert the produced gas for further upgrading to liquid fuels as dimethyl ether (DME), methanol or Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) derived diesel. The present work is an attempt to highlight the conditions for the reforming unit and the problems related to working with streams having high contents of sulphur and alkali metals.