IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v217y2021ics0360544220324919.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A comprehensive review of hydrogen production from methanol thermochemical conversion for sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Garcia, Gabriel
  • Arriola, Emmanuel
  • Chen, Wei-Hsin
  • De Luna, Mark Daniel

Abstract

Methanol, a liquid hydrogen carrier, can produce high purity hydrogen when required. This review discusses and compares current mainstream production pathways of hydrogen from methanol. Recent research efforts in methanol steam reforming, partial oxidation, autothermal reforming, and methanol decomposition are addressed. Particular attention is paid to catalyst development and reactor technology. Copper-based catalysts are popular due to their high activity and selectivity towards CO2 over CO but are easily deactivated and have low stability. Attempts have been made using different metals like zinc, zirconia, ceria, chromium, and other transition metals. Catalysts with spinel structures can significantly improve activity and performance. Palladium-zinc alloy catalysts also have high selectivity towards H2 and CO2. For reactors, novel structures such as porous copper fiber sintered-felt are prefabricated and pre-coated before employment in microreactors. Monolith structures provide maximum surface area for catalyst coatings and lower pressure drops. Membrane reactors drive reactions forward to produce more H2. Swiss-roll reactors achieve heat recovery and energy saving in reactions. In summary, this comprehensive review of hydrogen production from methanol is conducive to the prospective development of a hydrogen-methanol economy.

Suggested Citation

  • Garcia, Gabriel & Arriola, Emmanuel & Chen, Wei-Hsin & De Luna, Mark Daniel, 2021. "A comprehensive review of hydrogen production from methanol thermochemical conversion for sustainability," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:217:y:2021:i:c:s0360544220324919
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.119384
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544220324919
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2020.119384?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Aghbashlo, Mortaza & Tabatabaei, Meisam & Soltanian, Salman & Ghanavati, Hossein, 2019. "Biopower and biofertilizer production from organic municipal solid waste: An exergoenvironmental analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 64-76.
    2. Iulianelli, A. & Ribeirinha, P. & Mendes, A. & Basile, A., 2014. "Methanol steam reforming for hydrogen generation via conventional and membrane reactors: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 355-368.
    3. Zakaria, Z. & Kamarudin, S.K., 2016. "Direct conversion technologies of methane to methanol: An overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 250-261.
    4. Balcombe, Paul & Speirs, Jamie & Johnson, Erin & Martin, Jeanne & Brandon, Nigel & Hawkes, Adam, 2018. "The carbon credentials of hydrogen gas networks and supply chains," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 1077-1088.
    5. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Shen, Chun-Ting & Lin, Bo-Jhih & Liu, Shih-Chun, 2015. "Hydrogen production from methanol partial oxidation over Pt/Al2O3 catalyst with low Pt content," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 399-407.
    6. Ouzounidou, Martha & Ipsakis, Dimitris & Voutetakis, Spyros & Papadopoulou, Simira & Seferlis, Panos, 2009. "A combined methanol autothermal steam reforming and PEM fuel cell pilot plant unit: Experimental and simulation studies," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(10), pages 1733-1743.
    7. Wang, Hsueh-Sheng & Huang, Kuo-Yang & Huang, Yuh-Jeen & Su, Yu-Chuan & Tseng, Fan-Gang, 2015. "A low-temperature partial-oxidation-methanol micro reformer with high fuel conversion rate and hydrogen production yield," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 21-30.
    8. Abdul Ghani, Ahmad & Torabi, Farshid & Ibrahim, Hussameldin, 2018. "Autothermal reforming process for efficient hydrogen production from crude glycerol using nickel supported catalyst: Parametric and statistical analyses," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 129-145.
    9. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Shen, Chun-Ting, 2016. "Partial oxidation of methanol over a Pt/Al2O3 catalyst enhanced by sprays," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 1-12.
    10. Yang, Chi-Jen & Jackson, Robert B., 2012. "China's growing methanol economy and its implications for energy and the environment," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 878-884.
    11. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Guo, Yu-Zhi & Chen, Chih-Chun, 2018. "Methanol partial oxidation accompanied by heat recirculation in a Swiss-roll reactor," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 79-88.
    12. Chaubey, Rashmi & Sahu, Satanand & James, Olusola O. & Maity, Sudip, 2013. "A review on development of industrial processes and emerging techniques for production of hydrogen from renewable and sustainable sources," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 443-462.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ipsakis, Dimitris & Ouzounidou, Martha & Papadopoulou, Simira & Seferlis, Panos & Voutetakis, Spyros, 2017. "Dynamic modeling and control analysis of a methanol autothermal reforming and PEM fuel cell power system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 703-718.
    2. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Chen, Kuan-Hsiang & Lin, Bo-Jhih & Guo, Yu-Zhi, 2020. "Catalyst combination strategy for hydrogen production from methanol partial oxidation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    3. Chen, Guanyi & Tao, Junyu & Liu, Caixia & Yan, Beibei & Li, Wanqing & Li, Xiangping, 2017. "Hydrogen production via acetic acid steam reforming: A critical review on catalysts," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1091-1098.
    4. Pravakar Mohanty & Kamal K. Pant & Ritesh Mittal, 2015. "Hydrogen generation from biomass materials: challenges and opportunities," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(2), pages 139-155, March.
    5. Baruah, Renika & Dixit, Marm & Basarkar, Pratik & Parikh, Dhrupad & Bhargav, Atul, 2015. "Advances in ethanol autothermal reforming," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1345-1353.
    6. Hou, Tengfei & Zhang, Shaoyin & Chen, Yongdong & Wang, Dazhi & Cai, Weijie, 2015. "Hydrogen production from ethanol reforming: Catalysts and reaction mechanism," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 132-148.
    7. Zhang, Tie-qing & Malik, Fawad Rahim & Jung, Seunghun & Kim, Young-Bae, 2022. "Hydrogen production and temperature control for DME autothermal reforming process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).
    8. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Guo, Yu-Zhi & Chen, Chih-Chun, 2018. "Methanol partial oxidation accompanied by heat recirculation in a Swiss-roll reactor," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 79-88.
    9. Ochoa, Aitor & Bilbao, Javier & Gayubo, Ana G. & Castaño, Pedro, 2020. "Coke formation and deactivation during catalytic reforming of biomass and waste pyrolysis products: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    10. Yek, Peter Nai Yuh & Cheng, Yoke Wang & Liew, Rock Keey & Wan Mahari, Wan Adibah & Ong, Hwai Chyuan & Chen, Wei-Hsin & Peng, Wanxi & Park, Young-Kwon & Sonne, Christian & Kong, Sieng Huat & Tabatabaei, 2021. "Progress in the torrefaction technology for upgrading oil palm wastes to energy-dense biochar: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    11. Salehi-Amiri, Amirhossein & Zahedi, Ali & Akbapour, Navid & Hajiaghaei-Keshteli, Mostafa, 2021. "Designing a sustainable closed-loop supply chain network for walnut industry," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Tang, Yuanyou & Wang, Yang & Long, Wuqiang & Xiao, Ge & Wang, Yongjian & Li, Weixing, 2023. "Analysis and enhancement of methanol reformer performance for online reforming based on waste heat recovery of methanol-diesel dual direct injection engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    13. Bergthorson, Jeffrey M. & Thomson, Murray J., 2015. "A review of the combustion and emissions properties of advanced transportation biofuels and their impact on existing and future engines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1393-1417.
    14. Mehrpooya, Mehdi & Ansarinasab, Hojat & Mousavi, Seyed Ali, 2021. "Life cycle assessment and exergoeconomic analysis of the multi-generation system based on fuel cell for methanol, power, and heat production," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1314-1332.
    15. Soltanian, Salman & Kalogirou, Soteris A. & Ranjbari, Meisam & Amiri, Hamid & Mahian, Omid & Khoshnevisan, Benyamin & Jafary, Tahereh & Nizami, Abdul-Sattar & Gupta, Vijai Kumar & Aghaei, Siavash & Pe, 2022. "Exergetic sustainability analysis of municipal solid waste treatment systems: A systematic critical review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    16. Jiang, Dongyue & Yang, Wenming & Tang, Aikun, 2016. "A refractory selective solar absorber for high performance thermochemical steam reforming," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 286-292.
    17. Aghajani Delavar, Mojtaba & Wang, Junye, 2022. "Three-dimensional modeling of photo fermentative biohydrogen generation in a microbioreactor," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 1034-1045.
    18. Te Zhao & Chusheng Chen & Hong Ye, 2021. "CFD Simulation of Hydrogen Generation and Methane Combustion Inside a Water Splitting Membrane Reactor," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-17, November.
    19. Yuan, Zhenyu & Zhang, Yufeng & Fu, Wenting & Li, Zipeng & Liu, Xiaowei, 2013. "Investigation of a small-volume direct methanol fuel cell stack for portable applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 462-467.
    20. Yang, Chi-Jen & Zhou, Yipei & Jackson, Robert B., 2014. "China's fuel gas sector: History, current status, and future prospects," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 12-21.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:217:y:2021:i:c:s0360544220324919. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.