Technological solution for distributing vehicular hydrogen using dry plasma reforming of natural gas and biogas

Technological solution for distributing vehicular hydrogen using dry plasma reforming of natural gas and biogas

The biggest challenge facing the energy sector today is how to achieve a faster transition from fossil fuel economy to sustainable energy sources. Hydrogen is a clean chemical element that can be associated to high-efficiency fuel cells. However, most industrial H2 production processes are obtained...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Renewable energy Vol. 201; pp. 11 - 21
Main Authors: Labanca, A.R.C., Cunha, A.G., Ribeiro, R.P., Zucolotto, C.G., Cevolani, M.B., Schettino, M.A.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2022
Subjects:
Biogas
Carbon dioxide
Hydrogen
Hydrogen refueling station
Methane
Natural gas
Plasma dry reforming
Reduced graphene oxide
Methane
Hydrogen refueling station
Hydrogen
Carbon dioxide
Plasma dry reforming
Biogas
Reduced graphene oxide
Natural gas
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Summary:The biggest challenge facing the energy sector today is how to achieve a faster transition from fossil fuel economy to sustainable energy sources. Hydrogen is a clean chemical element that can be associated to high-efficiency fuel cells. However, most industrial H2 production processes are obtained from thermochemical processes that generate large amounts of CO2, such as natural gas (NG) steam reforming and coal gasification. An option to CO2-free H2 production is by water electrolysis based on renewable electricity, however it has technical-economic limitations that make its wide use difficult. This article presents a new plasma reformer as an alternative for H2 production that uses NG with CO2 or biogas as feedstock. Conversions of 90% of NG were experimentally obtained, producing H2, CO and reduced graphene oxide in a single pass through the reactor, without catalysts or heat regeneration. The Energy Conversion Efficiency of the prototype presented values close to 50%, without regard the energy of the carbonaceous nanomaterials obtained and depending on the losses between the power supply and the plasma torch. The proposed technology contributes to the transition from fossil fuel to renewable sources, suggesting the production of H2 in a decentralized way for fuel cell electric vehicles. •Experimental results of a catalyst-free plasma dry reforming with 90% NG conversion.•New plasma technology to produce syngas and reduced graphene oxide at large scale.•H2 and graphene-based materials production by CO2 thermal plasma reactor.•Use of CO2 as plasma gas to assist H2 as vehicular fuel from NG and CO2 or biogas.•Prototype results with nearly 48% of Energy Conversion Efficiency in syngas production.
ISSN:0960-1481
1879-0682
DOI:10.1016/j.renene.2022.11.020