IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v49y2013icp211-217.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Steam gasification of plant biomass using molten carbonate salts

Author

Listed:
  • Hathaway, Brandon J.
  • Honda, Masanori
  • Kittelson, David B.
  • Davidson, Jane H.

Abstract

This paper explores the use of molten alkali-carbonate salts as a reaction and heat transfer medium for steam gasification of plant biomass with the objectives of enhanced heat transfer, faster kinetics, and increased thermal capacitance compared to gasification in an inert gas. The intended application is a solar process in which concentrated solar radiation is the sole source of heat to drive the endothermic production of synthesis gas. The benefits of gasification in a molten ternary blend of lithium, potassium, and sodium carbonate salts is demonstrated for cellulose, switchgrass, a blend of perennial plants, and corn stover through measurements of reaction rate and product composition in an electrically heated reactor. The feedstocks are gasified with steam at 1200 K in argon and in the molten salt. The use of molten salt increases the total useful syngas production by up to 25%, and increases the reactivity index by as much as 490%. Secondary products, in the form of condensable tar, are reduced by 77%.

Suggested Citation

  • Hathaway, Brandon J. & Honda, Masanori & Kittelson, David B. & Davidson, Jane H., 2013. "Steam gasification of plant biomass using molten carbonate salts," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 211-217.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:49:y:2013:i:c:p:211-217
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2012.11.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544212008444
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2012.11.006?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. Jin, Gong & Iwaki, Hiroyuki & Arai, Norio & Kitagawa, Kuniyuki, 2005. "Study on the gasification of wastepaper/carbon dioxide catalyzed by molten carbonate salts," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 30(7), pages 1192-1203.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yuan, Hongyou & Wu, Shubin & Yin, Xiuli & Huang, Yanqin & Guo, Daliang & Wu, Chuangzhi, 2018. "Adjustment of biomass product gas to raise H2/CO ratio and remove tar over sodium titanate catalysts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 288-298.
    2. Gai, Chao & Chen, Mengjun & Liu, Tingting & Peng, Nana & Liu, Zhengang, 2016. "Gasification characteristics of hydrochar and pyrochar derived from sewage sludge," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 957-965.
    3. Gokon, Nobuyuki & Kumaki, Satoshi & Miyaguchi, Yosuke & Bellan, Selvan & Kodama, Tatsuya & Cho, Hyunseok, 2019. "Development of a 5kWth internally circulating fluidized bed reactor containing quartz sand for continuously-fed coal-coke gasification and a beam-down solar concentrating system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 1-16.
    4. Zhong, Dian & Zeng, Kuo & Li, Jun & Yang, Xinyi & Song, Yang & Zhu, Youjian & Flamant, Gilles & Nzihou, Ange & Yang, Haiping & Chen, Hanping, 2021. "3E analysis of a biomass-to-liquids production system based on solar gasification," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    5. Zeng, Kuo & Li, Jun & Xie, Yingpu & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Xinyi & Zhong, Dian & Zhen, Wanxin & Flamant, Gilles & Chen, Hanping, 2020. "Molten salt pyrolysis of biomass: The mechanism of volatile reforming and pyrolysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 213(C).
    6. Wang, Gang & Zhang, Zhen & Lin, Jianqing, 2024. "Multi-energy complementary power systems based on solar energy: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    7. Arnob Das & Susmita Datta Peu, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review on Recent Advancements in Thermochemical Processes for Clean Hydrogen Production to Decarbonize the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-42, September.
    8. Backer, Michael & Gladen, Adam, 2023. "Impact of salt composition and temperature on low-temperature torrefaction of pine in molten nitrate salts," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).
    9. Li, Jun & Xie, Yingpu & Zeng, Kuo & Flamant, Gilles & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Xinyi & Zhong, Dian & Du, Zhenyi & Chen, Hanping, 2020. "Biomass gasification in molten salt for syngas production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    10. Powell, Kody M. & Rashid, Khalid & Ellingwood, Kevin & Tuttle, Jake & Iverson, Brian D., 2017. "Hybrid concentrated solar thermal power systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 215-237.
    11. He, Xiao & Zeng, Kuo & Xie, Yingpu & Flamant, Gilles & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Xinyi & Nzihou, Ange & Zheng, Anqing & Ding, Zhi & Chen, Hanping, 2019. "The effects of temperature and molten salt on solar pyrolysis of lignite," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 407-416.
    12. Ozalp, Nesrin & Ibrik, Karim & Al-Meer, Mariam, 2013. "Kinetics and heat transfer analysis of carbon catalyzed solar cracking process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 74-81.
    13. Sánchez, M. & Clifford, B. & Nixon, J.D., 2018. "Modelling and evaluating a solar pyrolysis system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 116(PA), pages 630-638.
    14. Rodat, Sylvain & Abanades, Stéphane & Boujjat, Houssame & Chuayboon, Srirat, 2020. "On the path toward day and night continuous solar high temperature thermochemical processes: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    15. Gai, Chao & Dong, Yuping & Zhang, Tonghui, 2014. "Downdraft gasification of corn straw as a non-woody biomass: Effects of operating conditions on chlorides distribution," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 638-644.
    16. Wei, Yi & Xie, Jiale & Shen, Chaoyue & Lu, Licong & Ji, Jianbing, 2020. "Electrochemically assisted pyrolysis of rice straw in molten carbonates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 929-937.
    17. Rizkiana, Jenny & Guan, Guoqing & Widayatno, Wahyu Bambang & Hao, Xiaogang & Wang, Zhongde & Zhang, Zhonglin & Abudula, Abuliti, 2015. "Oil production from mild pyrolysis of low-rank coal in molten salts media," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 944-950.
    18. Xie, Yingpu & Zeng, Kuo & Flamant, Gilles & Yang, Haiping & Liu, Nian & He, Xiao & Yang, Xinyi & Nzihou, Ange & Chen, Hanping, 2019. "Solar pyrolysis of cotton stalk in molten salt for bio-fuel production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 179(C), pages 1124-1132.

    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. Masnadi, Mohammad S. & Grace, John R. & Bi, Xiaotao T. & Lim, C. Jim & Ellis, Naoko & Li, Yong Hua & Watkinson, A. Paul, 2015. "From coal towards renewables: Catalytic/synergistic effects during steam co-gasification of switchgrass and coal in a pilot-scale bubbling fluidized bed," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 918-930.
    2. Li, Jun & Xie, Yingpu & Zeng, Kuo & Flamant, Gilles & Yang, Haiping & Yang, Xinyi & Zhong, Dian & Du, Zhenyi & Chen, Hanping, 2020. "Biomass gasification in molten salt for syngas production," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    3. Han, Jun & Kim, Heejoon, 2008. "The reduction and control technology of tar during biomass gasification/pyrolysis: An overview," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 397-416, February.
    4. Chen, Wei-Hsin & Lin, Bo-Jhih, 2013. "Hydrogen and synthesis gas production from activated carbon and steam via reusing carbon dioxide," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 551-559.
    5. Anis, Samsudin & Zainal, Z.A., 2011. "Tar reduction in biomass producer gas via mechanical, catalytic and thermal methods: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 2355-2377, June.
    6. Rizkiana, Jenny & Guan, Guoqing & Widayatno, Wahyu Bambang & Hao, Xiaogang & Wang, Zhongde & Zhang, Zhonglin & Abudula, Abuliti, 2015. "Oil production from mild pyrolysis of low-rank coal in molten salts media," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 944-950.
    7. Masnadi, Mohammad S. & Grace, John R. & Bi, Xiaotao T. & Lim, C. Jim & Ellis, Naoko & Li, Yong Hua & Watkinson, A. Paul, 2015. "Single-fuel steam gasification of switchgrass and coal in a bubbling fluidized bed: A comprehensive parametric reference for co-gasification study," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 133-147.
    8. Zhang, Shangzhong & Yoshikawa, Kunio & Nakagome, Hideki & Kamo, Tohru, 2013. "Kinetics of the steam gasification of a phenolic circuit board in the presence of carbonates," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 815-821.
    9. Yuan, Hongyou & Wu, Shubin & Yin, Xiuli & Huang, Yanqin & Guo, Daliang & Wu, Chuangzhi, 2018. "Adjustment of biomass product gas to raise H2/CO ratio and remove tar over sodium titanate catalysts," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 288-298.
    10. Backer, Michael & Gladen, Adam, 2023. "Impact of salt composition and temperature on low-temperature torrefaction of pine in molten nitrate salts," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PE).

    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:49:y:2013:i:c:p:211-217. 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.