• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.163-171
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• 2023

Hydrogen has been gaining a lot of attention as a possible clean energy source that can aid in reaching carbon neutrality. Currently, hydrogen production has relied on the steam reforming of fossil fuels. However, due to the carbon dioxide emissions caused by this process, hydrogen production based on the steam reforming of bio-oil derived from biomass has been proposed as an alternative approach. In order to use this alternative approach efficiently, one of the key issues that must be overcome is that the complexity of bio-oil, which has a large molecular weight and diverse functional groups of hydrocarbons, promotes the catalytic deactivation of nickel-based catalysts. In this review, research efforts to improve nickel-based catalysts for the steam reforming of bio-oil have been discussed in terms of the active phase, support, and promoters. The active phases are involved in activating C-C and C-H bonds of high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, and noble and transition metals can be utilized. In terms of the support and promoters, the catalytic deactivation of Ni-based catalysts can be inhibited by utilizing reactive lattice oxygen for support or by suppressing the acidity. The development of active and stable Ni-based reforming catalysts plays a critical role in clean hydrogen production based on bio-oils.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society for Energy Engineering kosee Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.91-96
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• 2004

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.343-350
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• 2012

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) is studied in its application in a high-temperature stationary power plant. Even though PSOFCs with external reformers are designed for application from the distributed power source to the central power plant, such PSOFCs may sacrifice more system efficiency than internally reformed SOFCs. In this study, modeling of the PSOFC with an external reformer was developed to analyze the feasibility of thermal energy utilization for the external reformer. The PSOFC system model includes the stack, reformer, burner, heat exchanger, blower, pump, PID controller, 3-way valve, reactor, mixer, and steam separator. The model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment with Thermolib$^{(R)}$ modules. The model was used to study the system performance according to its configuration. Three configurations of the SOFC system were selected for the comparison of the system performance. The system configuration considered the cathode recirculation, thermal sources for the external reformer, heat-up of operating gases, and condensate anode off-gas for the enhancement of the fuel concentration. The simulation results show that the magnitude of the electric efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 2 is 12.13% higher than that for Case 1 (reference case), and the thermal efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 3 is 76.12%, which is the highest of all the cases investigated.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.908-912
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• 2012

Lauan sawdust was gasified by steam reforming for hydrogen production from biomass waste. The fixed bed gasification reactor with 1m height and 10.2 cm diameter was utilized for the analysis of temperature and catalysts effect. Steam was injected to the gasification reactor for the steam reforming effect. Lauan sawdust was mixed with potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate + potassium carbonate and magnesium carbonate + calcium carbonate catalysts of constant mass fraction of 8:2 which was injected to the fixed gasification equipment. The compositions of production gas of gasification reaction were analyzed at the temperature range from $400^{\circ}C$ to $700^{\circ}C$. Fractions of hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide gas in the production gas increased when catalysts were used. Fractions of hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide gas were increased with increasing temperature. The highest hydrogen yield was obtained with sodium carbonate catalyst.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.602-608
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• 2014

Hydrogen energy, a field of low-carbon substitute energy, can be produced by fossile fuel reforming and electrolysis of water etc. We developed 1kW class flat type reformer for PEM Fuel Cells. The PEMFC is highly sensitive to carbon monoxide because CO has detrimental effects on the performance of the fuel cell. Thus, reformed gas supplied to Fuel cell system, which maintained CO concentration below 10ppm. After applying optimum drive condition, reformed gas was measured with gas chromatography and could find out about each experimental condition of $H_2$ and CO concentration. As a results, The 1kW class plate type hydrogen generation system's optimum condition is A/F ratio ${\alpha}=1.3$, STR temperature 1023K, S/C ratio 3, and $PrOx1{\cdot}2$ 30cc/min. It turns out that installation of PrOx 2 stage is more efficient for reducing CO concentration.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.100-108
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• 2011

The use of biogas as an energy source reduces the chance of possible emission of two greenhouse gases, $CH_4$ and $CO_2$, into the atmosphere at the same time. Its nature of being a reproducible energy source makes its use even more attractive. This research if for the hydrogen production through the steam reforming of the biogas. The biogas utilized 3D-IR matrix burner in which the surface combustion is applied. The nickel catalyst was used inside a reformer. Parametric screening studies were achieved as Steam/Carbon ratio, biogas component ratio, Space velocity and Reformer temperature. When the condition of Steam/Carbon ratio, $CH_4/CO_2$ ratio, Space velocity and Refomer temperature were 3.25, 60%:40%, 19.32L/$g{\cdot}hr$ and $700^{\circ}C$ respectively, the hydrogen concentration and methane conversion rate were showed maximum values. Under the condition mentioned above, $H_2$ concentration was 73.9% and methane conversion rate was 98.9%.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.709-717
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• 2009

Heat transfer rate is a very important factor for the performance of a steam reformer because a steam reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction. Coaxial cylindrical reactor is the reactor design which can improve the heat transfer rate. Temperature, fuel conversion and heat flux in the coaxial cylindrical steam reformer are studied in this paper using numerical method under various operating conditions. Langmuir-Hinshelwood model and pseudo-homogeneous model are incorporated for the catalytic surface reaction. Dominant chemical reactions are assumed as a Steam Reforming (SR) reaction, a Water-Gas Shift (WGS) reaction, and a Direct Steam Reforming (DSR) reaction. Although coaxial cylindrical steam reformer uses 33% less amount of catalyst than cylindrical steam reformer, its fuel conversion is increased 10 % more and its temperature is also high as about 30 degree. There is no heat transfer limitation near the inlet area at coaxial-type reactor. However, pressure drop of the coaxial cylindrical reactor is 10 times higher than that of cylindrical reactor. Operating parameters of coaxial cylindrical steam reformer are the wall temperature, the inlet temperature, and the Gas Hourly Space Velocity (GHSV). When the wall temperature is high, the temperature and the fuel conversion are increased due to the high heat transfer rate. The fuel conversion rate is increased with the high inlet temperature. However, temperature drop clearly occurs near the inlet area since an endothermic reaction is active due to the high inlet temperature. When GHSV is increased, the fuel conversion is decreased because of the heat transfer limitation and short residence time.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.41-44
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• 2007

Steam reforming reaction of natural gas is an important process for fuelcell commercialization. In this paper, steam reforming reaction is studied by numerical method. Pseudo-homogeneous model is incorporated for chemical reactions and one medium approach is used to take into account thermally equilibrium phenomena between catalyst and bulk gas. The model is validated with our experimental results under the same operating conditions. Because performance of reformer has relation to heat flux from wall, heat flux profiles was investigated by using Nusselt number. Value of Nusselt number in steam reformer is larger than one in channel, which does not have chemical reaction because steam reforming reaction is an endothermic reaction. When the difference of Nusselt number at the front and the rear is larger, performance is improved.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.172-175
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• 2006

Steam reforming of methane using Xe-arc solar simulator was studied for converting solar radiation into energy foam that one can readily utilize. The Xe-arc lamp produce a spectrum similar to that of the sun. SiC ceramic foam, resist high temp.$(>900^{\circ}C)$, is used to catalytically active foam absorber, and to support of reforming catalyst. The catalyst on the surface of foam were directly irradiated with solar simulated xe-light in order to carry out the steam reforming of methane. The reactor was made of stainless steel and quartz window was located on a place of the xe-light irradiation and temperature was controlled using K-type thermocouple in contact with catalyst located inside the reactor. The result show that a possibility of solar reforming using catalytically active foam absorber is exist.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.10a
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• pp.25-28
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• 2008

Steam reforming reaction is a matured technology to get hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels compared with other reforming reactions such as partial oxidation(POX), autothermal reforming(ATR). It is so endothermic that it needs heat source to activate the reaction. Due to the reaction characteristics, heat transfer limitation phenomena generally occur in the steam reformer. As one of new ideas, the effect of discontinuous gas feeding is investigated based on heat transfer characteristics. The new operating method is usually favorable at high GHSV region(i.e. over $10,000h^{-1}$). In order to numerically simulate the physical issues, numerical approach is adopted based on heterogeneous reaction model, two-equation model in energy equation, and other constitutive models in porous media.