Biomass Potential for Producing Power via Green Hydrogen

Nestor Sanchez, David Rodríguez-Fontalvo, Bernay Cifuentes, Nelly M. Cantillo, Miguel Ángel Uribe Laverde and Martha Cobo
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Nestor Sanchez: Group of Energy, Materials, and Environment, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chia 250001, Colombia
David Rodríguez-Fontalvo: Group of Energy, Materials, and Environment, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chia 250001, Colombia
Bernay Cifuentes: Faculty of Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá 111711, Colombia
Nelly M. Cantillo: Group of Energy, Materials, and Environment, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chia 250001, Colombia
Miguel Ángel Uribe Laverde: Group of Energy, Materials, and Environment, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chia 250001, Colombia
Martha Cobo: Group of Energy, Materials, and Environment, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de La Sabana, Chia 250001, Colombia

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 24, 1-18

Abstract: Hydrogen (H 2 ) has become an important energy vector for mitigating the effects of climate change since it can be obtained from renewable sources and can be fed to fuel cells for producing power. Bioethanol can become a green H 2 source via Ethanol Steam Reforming (ESR) but several variables influence the power production in the fuel cell. Herein, we explored and optimized the main variables that affect this power production. The process includes biomass fermentation, bioethanol purification, H 2 production via ESR, syngas cleaning by a CO-removal reactor, and power production in a high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC). Among the explored variables, the steam-to-ethanol molar ratio (S/E) employed in the ESR has the strongest influence on power production, process efficiency, and energy consumption. This effect is followed by other variables such as the inlet ethanol concentration and the ESR temperature. Although the CO-removal reactor did not show a significant effect on power production, it is key to increase the voltage on the fuel cell and consequently the power production. Optimization was carried out by the response surface methodology (RSM) and showed a maximum power of 0.07 kWh kg −1 of bioethanol with an efficiency of 17%, when ESR temperature is 700 °C. These values can be reached from different bioethanol sources as the S/E and CO-removal temperature are changed accordingly with the inlet ethanol concentration. Because there is a linear correlation between S/E and ethanol concentration, it is possible to select a proper S/E and CO-removal temperature to maximize the power generation in the HT-PEMFC via ESR. This study serves as a starting point to diversify the sources for producing H 2 and moving towards a H 2 -economy.

Keywords: bioethanol; catalyst; fuel cells; steam reforming; steam-to-ethanol ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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