Profitable recovery of methane from biogas using nonthermal discharge/catalyst hybrid reactor

FUEL 30

Tomohiro Nozaki, tnozaki@mech.titech.ac.jp, Wataru Fukui, fukui.w.aa@m.titech.ac.jp, Hiroyuki Tsukijihara, and Ken Okazaki. Department of Mechanical and Control Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 O-okayama, Meguro, 152-8552 Tokyo, Japan
Bio-resources attract considerable attention because of growing concerns of global energy and environmental protection. However, the efficient usage of bio-resource generally necessitates appropriate pre-reforming processes. We propose a low-temperature (300-500„aC) upgrading method using atmospheric pressure non-thermal discharge generated in a reforming catalyst bed reactor for profitable recovery of poor bio-resources. Excited species produced by high-energy electron impact, which proceed independently of temperature, accelerate CH4 steam reforming at lower temperatures than normal catalyst reactions with minimum energy required. The resultant hydrogen-enriched biogas is then available for use in internal combustion engines. In this presentation, a detailed mechanistic study of synergistic effects between non-thermal discharge and the reforming catalyst is presented based on Arrhenius plot method. Furthermore, carbon deposited on catalysts as a result of CH4 dehydrogenation was analyzed by temperature programmed oxidation method, which elucidates the role of excited H2O and CH4 on enhanced CH4 steam reforming.