The BioSCWG Project: Understanding the Trade-Offs in the Process and Thermal Design of Hydrogen and Synthetic Natural Gas Production

Mohamed Magdeldin, Thomas Kohl, Cataldo De Blasio, Mika Järvinen, Song Won Park and Reinaldo Giudici
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Mohamed Magdeldin: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
Thomas Kohl: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
Cataldo De Blasio: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
Mika Järvinen: Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Aalto University, Aalto FI-00076, Finland
Song Won Park: Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Reinaldo Giudici: Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-27

Abstract: This article presents a summary of the main findings from a collaborative research project between Aalto University in Finland and partner universities. A comparative process synthesis, modelling and thermal assessment was conducted for the production of Bio-synthetic natural gas (SNG) and hydrogen from supercritical water refining of a lipid extracted algae feedstock integrated with onsite heat and power generation. The developed reactor models for product gas composition, yield and thermal demand were validated and showed conformity with reported experimental results, and the balance of plant units were designed based on established technologies or state-of-the-art pilot operations. The poly-generative cases illustrated the thermo-chemical constraints and design trade-offs presented by key process parameters such as plant organic throughput, supercritical water refining temperature, nature of desirable coproducts, downstream indirect production and heat recovery scenarios. The evaluated cases favoring hydrogen production at 5 wt. % solid content and 600 °C conversion temperature allowed higher gross syngas and CHP production. However, mainly due to the higher utility demands the net syngas production remained lower compared to the cases favoring BioSNG production. The latter case, at 450 °C reactor temperature, 18 wt. % solid content and presence of downstream indirect production recorded 66.5%, 66.2% and 57.2% energetic, fuel-equivalent and exergetic efficiencies respectively.

Keywords: supercritical water gasification; lipid extracted algae; polygeneration; synthetic natural gas (SNG); hydrogen; thermodynamic assessment (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: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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