Description
The present project is focused on hydrogen production and CO2 reduction and separation. Both sections of the project are part of the main problems related with climate change and energy strategies. Fuel cells and Hydrogen research and development are one of the targets of the Horizon 2020-JTI fuel cells and Hydrogen 2 European program. The main objective would be to compare the hydrogen production by an innovative method (sorption enhanced steam reforming) with the similar traditional two steps process in a fixed bed reactor followed by the CO2 separation unit. Two processes will be compared: hydrogen production by an innovative method (sorption enhanced steam reforming), in donor partner laboratory (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) with the similar process in a traditional fixed bed reactor for hydrogen production followed by CO2 separation, in the Basque Country University, project promoter laboratory. Homemade catalysts and adsorbents will be tested in both processes, optimizing the operating conditions for each of them. Both research groups have long experience in the involved technology. The NTNU is the third institution in the ranking of Engineering of the ISI Web of Science for the Scandinavian countries. The project promoter has a clear experience in the proposed topic. The two parts involved will be benefited, as the objectives are part of current research lines that are being carried out in the catalytic research group of NTNU and in the UPV/EHU.
Summary of project results
Hydrogen is considered an important energy vector for the 21st century. It is one of the candidates to replace the current main transport energy vectors, and can also be used for power and heat generation on demand. Hydrogen fuel cells are environmentally friendly, as they are able to convert directly chemical energy into electricity. However, nowadays there are some difficulties for hydrogen economy implantation, and one of them is the high purity required for hydrogen. This energy vector is still being mainly produced from fossil fuels, from which hydrogen is produced as a component of a mixture containing other gases such as Co, CO2 and H2O. For future hydrogen economy development it’s important to obtain it from renewable resources. Among all the possible techniques to produce hydrogen from biomass fast pyrolysis is presented as an attractive method to produce bio-oil from different types of biomass. Bio-oil is a complex mixture and it is important to optimize the process and prepare a catalysts which presents high conversion and is stable when working with real bio-oil sample. Therefore, the process can be tested with acetic acid and also other compounds present in this liquid fraction. During her stay at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the grantee from University of Basque Country performed experimental tests of 7 different catalysts with two different feedings. When finishing the stay, she will perform the characterization of the catalysts and sorbent. Once she has all the information (activity plus characterization), she will prepare a manuscript and send it to a high impact factor journal in Catalysis field. During her stay in Norway, she showed preliminary results by presenting a poster at the XIII International Conference on Energy, Environment and Chemical Engineering in Olso.
Summary of bilateral results
The project provided the opportunity to cooperate for the first time to partners, the SUPREN research group at the University of Basque Country and the catalysis group of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at the NTNU Trondheim. It has been a successful experience and a perfect place for the grantee to learn about sorption enhanced reactions from Prof. Chen. Partners will continue collaborating during the preparation, discussions and publication of the work performed. The School of Engineering in Bilbao (Spain), where the grantee works, has an Erasmus agreement to exchange students and staff with the NTNU. Therefore, a short academic stage can also be considered in the near future, as some of Chemical Engineering subjects she teaches at the EHU/UPV are also taught there.