Treatment of Biomass-Derived Synthesis
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
TREATMENT OF BIOMASS-DERIVED SYNTHESIS GAS USING COMMERCIAL STEAM REFORMING CATALYSTS AND BIOCHAR By LUZ STELLA MARIN Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering Universidad Simón Bolívar Caracas, Venezuela 1991 Master of Science in Chemical Engineering Universidad Simón Bolívar Caracas, Venezuela 1992 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December, 2011 TREATMENT OF BIOMASS-DERIVED SYNTHESIS GAS USING COMMERCIAL STEAM REFORMING CATALYSTS AND BIOCHAR Dissertation Approved: Dr. Danielle Bellmer Dissertation Adviser Dr. Mark Wilkins Dr. Ajay Kumar Dr. Hasan Atiyeh Dr. Gary Foutch Outside Committee Member Dr. Sheryl A. Tucker Dean of the Graduate College ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................1 1.1 Objectives ..........................................................................................................2 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE....................................................................................3 2.1 Renewable Energy .............................................................................................3 2.2.1 Biofuel.......................................................................................................4 2.2 Biomass ..............................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Biomass Gasification ................................................................................6 2.2.2 Gasifiers ..........................................................................................……..7 2.3 Tar ......................................................................................................................8 2.3.1 Definition ..................................................................................................8 2.3.2 Formation ..................................................................................................8 2.3.3 Tar Model Compounds ...........................................................................10 2.3.4 Tar Handling Alternatives..................................................................….10 2.4 Chemical Reaction Network…………………………………………………15 2.5 Catalytic Tar Destruction ......................................................................... …...18 2.5.1 Non Metallic Catalysts ............................................................................19 2.5.2 Commercial Steam Reforming Nickel Catalysts ....................................23 2.5.3 Optimized Catalyst Formulations ...........................................................25 2.6 Selection of Commercial Catalysts .......................................................... …...26 2.6.1 Hifuel R-110 ...........................................................................................27 2.6.2 Reformax 250..........................................................................................28 2.6.3 NextechA ................................................................................................29 2.7 Tendency Toward Carbon Formation ............................................................ …...30 2.8 Reaction Kinetics ........................................................................................... …...31 2.9 Catalyst Characterization ............................................................................... …...33 2.10 Extent of Reaction Method .......................................................................... …...36 iii Chapter Page III. EXPERIMENTAL COMPARISON OF BIOCHAR AND COMMERCIAL CATALYSTS FOR TAR REMOVAL ..................................................................39 Abstract ..................................................................................................................39 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................40 3.2 Methods..................................................................................................................42 3.2.1 Catalyst Details .............................................................................................42 3.2.2 Experimental Set Up .....................................................................................44 3.2.3 Sampling and Analytical Methods ................................................................46 3.2.4 Experimental Parameters ..............................................................................47 3.2.5 Initial Experiments ........................................................................................48 3.2.6 Mass Balance ................................................................................................51 3.2.7 Kinetics Study ...............................................................................................52 3.2.8 Statistical Analysis ........................................................................................54 3.2.9 Testing Catalysts in Series ............................................................................54 3.2.10 Catalyst Characterization ............................................................................56 3.3 Results ....................................................................................................................58 3.3.1 Toluene Conversion at Different Temperatures ...........................................58 3.2.2 Effect on Other Gas Components .................................................................62 3.3.3 Testing Catalysts in Series ............................................................................75 3.3.4 Catalyst Characterization ..............................................................................77 3.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................................89 IV. USE OF THE EXTENT OF REACTION COORDINATE METHOD DURING CATALYTIC STEAM REFORMING OF TOLUENE ........................................91 Abstract ..................................................................................................................91 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................92 4.2 Methods..................................................................................................................93 4.2.1 Catalytic Steam Reforming Experiments......................................................93 4.2.2 Reaction Network .........................................................................................93 4.2.3 Molar Extent of Reaction Method ................................................................95 4.2.4 Application to Toluene Conversion ..............................................................96 4.2.5 Gibbs Free Energy ......................................................................................101 4.3 Results ..................................................................................................................104 4.3.1 Extent of Reactions .....................................................................................104 4.3.2 Mass Balance Verification ..........................................................................114 4.3.3 Gibbs Free Energy ......................................................................................116 4.4 Conclusions ..........................................................................................................119 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................121 APPENDICES ...........................................................................................................131 A.1 Experimental Protocol for catalyst testing ..........................................................131 iv A.2 Example of Mass Balance ...................................................................................136 A.3 Residence Time Calculations and Activation Energy Plots................................141 A.4 FTIR Interferogram for Commercial Catalysts ...................................................146 A.5 Mass Balance Verification Results .....................................................................149 A.6 Gibbs Free Energy Calculation ...........................................................................153 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1 Temperature dependency for tar formation (Adopted from Elliot, 1998) ............8 3.1 Description of catalysts used in this study ..........................................................42 3.2 Mineral content of biochar generated from switchgrass at OSU ........................43 3.3 Proximate analysis of biochar generated from switchgrass at OSU ...................44 3.4 Ultimate analysis of biochar generated from switchgrass at OSU .....................44 3.5 Composition of synthetic gas mixture ................................................................45 3.6 Operational parameters for toluene conversion experiments ..............................48 3.7 Initial concentration values at three different temperatures ................................49 3.8 Mean toluene conversion and significant differences for tested catalysts. ◦ Experimental conditions were T = 600-800 C, weight of catalyst = 0.15 g, weight of biochar = 0.3 g, steam to carbon ratio