Method for producing renewable hydrogen from biomass derivatives using steam reforming technology

Abstract

A process of decomposing a biomass derivative to produce a gaseous product and then introducing the gaseous product into a steam reformer.

Claims

1. A process comprising: decomposing a biomass derivative to produce a gaseous product wherein the biomass derivative was steam reformed at a constant pressure with increasing temperature from a temperature range between 100 C. to 500 C.; and introducing the gaseous product into a steam reformer.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the gaseous product is introduced directly into the steam reformer.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the decomposing of the biomass derivative occurs at a temperature range from 100 C. to 500 C.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the decomposing of the biomass derivative occurs at a temperature range from 200 C. to 350 C.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the decomposing of the biomass derivative occurs at a pressure range greater than 101.3 kPa.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the gaseous product contains less than 0.5 wt % of coke precursors.

7. The process of claim 6, wherein the coke precursors are selected from the group consisting of polynuclear aromatics, alkynes, olefins and combinations thereof.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the gaseous product contains at least 1 wt % gaseous hydrogen.

9. A process comprising: decomposing biomass derivatives with increasing temperature from a temperature range from 100 C. to 500 C. to produce a gaseous product with less than 0.5 wt % of coke precursors and at least 1 wt % gaseous hydrogen wherein the biomass derivative was steam reformed at a constant pressure; and introducing the gaseous product directly into a steam reformer.

10. A process consisting essentially of: decomposing biomass derivatives to produce a gaseous product; and introducing the gaseous product into a steam reformer; wherein the biomass derivative was steam reformed at a constant pressure with increasing temperature from a temperature range between 100 C. to 500 C.

11. The process of claim 10, wherein the gaseous product is introduced directly into the steam reformer.

12. The process of claim 10, wherein the decomposing of the biomass derivative occurs at a temperature range from 100 C. to 350 C.

13. The process of claim 10, wherein the decomposing of the biomass derivative occurs at a temperature range from 200 C. to 350 C.

14. The process of claim 10, wherein the decomposing of the biomass derivative occurs at a pressure range greater than 101.3 kPa.

15. The process of claim 10, wherein the gaseous product contains less than 0.5 wt % of coke precursors.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the coke precursors are selected from the group consisting of polynuclear aromatics, alkynes, ole fins and combinations thereof.

17. The process of claim 10, wherein the gaseous product contains at least 1 wt % gaseous hydrogen.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A more complete understanding of the present invention and benefits thereof may be acquired by referring to the follow description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts a species equilibrium composition profile.

(3) FIG. 2 depicts a species equilibrium composition profile.

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a species equilibrium composition profile.

(5) FIG. 4 depicts a species equilibrium composition profile.

(6) FIG. 5 depicts a gas phase composition during the decomposition of ethanol.

(7) FIG. 6 depicts normalized gas phase composition during ethanol decomposition.

(8) FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D depict product rates of hydrogen, CO, CO.sub.2, and methane.

(9) FIG. 8 depicts species yields during the decomposition of a polysaccharide Derivative.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) Turning now to the detailed description of the preferred arrangement or arrangements of the present invention, it should be understood that the inventive features and concepts may be manifested in other arrangements and that the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described or illustrated. The scope of the invention is intended only to be limited by the scope of the claims that follow.

(11) The present disclosure describes a process of decomposing biomass derivatives to produce a gaseous product and introducing the gaseous product into a stem reformer.

(12) Different types of biomass derivatives can be used including but not limited to: cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, polysaccharides, monosaccharides (e.g. glucose, xylose, and galactose), furfural, lignin derived alcohols (coumaryl, coniferyl and sinapyl alcohols), and molecules and derivatives derived from the above listed molecules. Mixtures of these compounds, such as those found in bio-oils derived from fast pyrolysis or liquefaction, are also included in the biomass derivatives definition.

(13) In terms of specific crops that biomass derivatives can be derived from including but are not limited to: crops such as corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, rye, millet, barley, sorghum, triticale, sugar beets, sugarcane, and rice, and grain-like plants such as amaranth and buckwheat. Generally, biomass derivatives can be from any renewable plant source from which polysaccharide molecules can be derived via upgrading/conversion of cellulose, hemi-cellulose and/or lignin including trees, forestry waste and byproducts, algae, and municipal solid waste.

(14) In one embodiment the biomass derivatives are polysaccharide derivatives. In another embodiment the polysaccharide derivatives have a molecular formula of CxHyOz, where z/x ranges from 0.1 to 1.0 and y/z ranges from 2.0 to 3.0.

(15) The biomass derivative is then decomposed to produce a gaseous product. This gaseous product comprises varying amounts of methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. In one embodiment the amount of hydrogen produced is at least 0.5 wt %, 1 wt %, 3 wt %, 5 wt % even 10 wt % of the gaseous product.

(16) In one embodiment the process is able to produce constant levels of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane for 1 hour, 5 hours, 10 hours even 20 hours without more than 10%, or even 5% drop in rates.

(17) The gaseous product may also contain some coke precursors. Examples of coke precursors include polynuclear aromatics, alkynes, untreated polysactharides, oxygenated organic compounds and alkenes such as: ethylene, propylene and butenes. In one embodiment the amount of coke precursors produced are less than 0.5 wt %, 0.1 wt %, 0.01 wt % even 0.0001 wt % of the gaseous product; i.e., less than 1 part per million (ppm) by weight.

(18) The minimal to non-existent production of coke precursors in this process is theorized to increase the lifetime of the catalysts used in the steam reformer due to reduced coke build-up. Typical catalysts that are used in steam reformers include but are not limited to Ni/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Cu/Ni/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Rh/Ni/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Ni/MgO/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Ni/CeO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Ni/Cu/Au/CeO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Fe/Ni/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Cu/Co/CeO.sub.2, Ni/Cu/K/Au/CeO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3, Ni/ZrO.sub.2, Ni/CeO.sub.2/ZrO.sub.2 and Ni/Cu/CeO.sub.2/ZrO.sub.2.

(19) The decomposition temperature and pressures of the biomass derivatives are adjusted to obtain the greatest amount of gaseous hydrogen with the lowest amount of coke precursors. In one embodiment the biomass derivative is decomposed in temperature ranges from 100 C. to 550 C., 100 C. to 350 C., even 200 C. to 350 C. The pressure ranges for this decomposition can be 101.3 kPa, 4,000 kPa or even higher.

(20) The gaseous product is then fed into a conventional steam reformer. Any known steam reformer by one skilled in the art could be utilized. The gaseous product will then enter the hot tubes within the stream reformer in which a catalytic reaction would take place causing further conversion of the steam and lighter hydrocarbons into syngas comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The syngas can then be further reacted to give more hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Example 1

(21) In this example a polysaccharide hydrolysis derivative, levulinic acid, C.sub.5H.sub.8O.sub.3, was steam reformed at 3000 kPa with increasing temperature. As shown in FIG. 1, the amount of syngas (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen) is plentiful at lower temperatures. As shown in the species equilibrium composition profile, as the temperatures increase the amount of the syngas decreases and the amount of ethylene increases. Ethylene is a known coking precursor.

(22) As shown in FIG. 2 the mole fraction of ethylene produced from levulinic acid increases significantly as the temperature increases.

Example 2

(23) In this example a polysaccharide derivative, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran C.sub.5H.sub.10O, was steam reformed at 3000 kPa with increasing temperature. As shown in FIG. 3, the amount of syngas (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen) is plentiful at lower temperatures. As shown in the species equilibrium composition profile, as the temperatures increase the amount of the syngas decreases and the amount of ethylene increases. Ethylene is a known coking precursor.

(24) As shown in FIG. 4 the mole fraction of ethylene produced from 2-methyltetrahydrofuran increases significantly as the temperature increases.

Example 3

(25) in this example a polysaccharide derivative, ethanol, was steam reformed at 790.83 kPa with increasing temperature. The observed major gas phase products were hydrogen, methane, CO, and CO.sub.2. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the fraction of syngas (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen) in the gaseous products is very significant even at lower temperatures. At these conditions, the hydrogen and CO production yields exhibited maxima with temperature, while the CO.sub.2 and methane yields continued to increase with temperature. Similarly, ethylene yield was below the detection limit of the gas chromatograph used to analyze the gaseous products which is less than 10 ppm. Ethylene is a known coking precursor in conventional steam methane reformers (SMR).

Example 4

(26) In this example a mixture of biomass-derived oxygenates consisting of 61 wt % methanol, 6 wt % ethanol, 5 wt % 2-propanol, 0.7 wt % 1-propanol, 0.01 wt % propylene glycol, 1.6 wt % C.sub.4+ alcohols, was diluted with varying amounts of water to obtain feeds with water-to-carbon ratios of 1.5, 3.0, and 5.0, respectively. The feeds were decomposed at 2,170 kPa at varying temperatures. The dominant products are shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D. Similar to Example 5, the amount of syngas (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen) in the gaseous products was significant even at lower temperatures. Similarly, ethylene yield was below the detection limit of the gas chromatograph used to analyze the gaseous products. Additionally, FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D indicated that there was no significant degradation in process performance since the produced amounts of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane remained fairly constant over several hours of continuous operation.

Example 5

(27) In this example, a polysaccharide hydrolysis derivative, formic acid was reformed at 790.83 kP and 270 C. As shown in FIG. 8, the dominant products were hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Further, it can be inferred from FIG. 8 that there was no significant degradation in process performance since the produced amounts of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, remained fairly constant over several hours of continuous operation.

Example 6

(28) In this example, direct steam reforming of a polysaccharide derivative, ethanol, was conducted using HiFuel, a commercial SMR catalyst at 790.83 kPa and 270 C. Though the products were similar to that in example 3, however, the system pressure-drop increased rapidly after processing about 207 mL, of the feed primarily due to coke build-up. This further signifies the rapid degradation of conventional SMR catalyst when directly processing oxygenates.

(29) Conversely, over 7000 mL, of the same feed were processed when the process of decomposing the polysaccharide derivative to produce a gaseous product was done prior to introducing the gaseous product into the steam reformer. As such the process was able in more than double the use of the catalyst without coke build-up.

(30) In closing, it should be noted that the discussion of any reference is not an admission that it is prior art to the present invention, especially any reference that may have a publication date after the priority date of this application. At the same time, each and every claim below is hereby incorporated into this detailed description or specification as an additional embodiment of the present invention.

(31) Although the systems and processes described herein have been described in it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. Those skilled in the art may be able to study the preferred embodiments and identify other ways to practice the invention that are not exactly as described herein. It is the intent of the inventors that variations and equivalents of the invention are within the scope of the claims while the description, abstract and drawings are not to be used to limit the scope of the invention. The invention is specifically intended to be as broad as the claims below and their equivalents.