Enriched Methane (eBook)

Marcello De Falco is an Assistant Professor of “Dynamic and Control of Industrial Processes” at the Faculty of Engineering of “Campus Bio-Medico” of Rome and a researcher expert in reactor modelling. He has 60 publications about on reactor simulations, chemical processes development and technologies assessment.Angelo Basile is a Senior Researcher at the Institute on Membrane Technology of the Italian National Research Council (ITM-CNR). Basile is responsible for the research related to the ultra-pure H2 production and CO2 capture using Pd-based Membrane Reactors. In this research area, he published more than: a) 110 papers as first name and/or corresponding author; b) 30 invited speaker or plenary lectures, and c) 220 papers in proc. of Int. Conferences; lecturer in various Summer Schools on Membrane Reactors organized by the European Membrane Society; editor of 15 books and more than 50 chapters; 8 patents (of which: 1 at European level and 1 at worldwide level).

Preface 6
Contents 8
1 Enriched Methane: A Ready Solution for the Transition Towards the Hydrogen Economy 10
Abstract 10
1 Introduction 11
2 Hydrogen 13
2.1 Production 13
2.2 Storage 16
2.3 Distribution 19
2.4 End Use 20
3 Barriers Towards the Hydrogen Economy 20
4 The Enriched Methane 24
4.1 Production 25
4.2 Storage 25
4.3 Distribution 26
4.4 End Use 27
5 Conclusions 28
References 28
2 Enriched Methane Production Through a Low Temperature Steam Reforming Reactor 31
Abstract 31
1 Introduction 32
2 Solar Steam Reforming Process 34
3 Solar Steam Reforming Reactor Modeling 36
4 Industrial Reactor Simulation and Performance Analysis 39
5 Conclusions 42
References 43
3 Methane/Hydrogen Mixtures from Concentrated Solar Energy: The METISOL Project 44
Abstract 44
1 Introduction 45
2 Concentrating Solar Power: General Principles 47
3 Selection of Installation Site for the CSP Plant 50
4 Solar Radiation Concentration Efficiency 51
5 Methane/Hydrogen Production Plant 53
6 Analysis of Solar Collection During the Year 55
7 Conclusions 56
References 57
4 Low Temperature Steam Reforming Catalysts for Enriched Methane Production 59
Abstract 59
1 Introduction 60
1.1 Enriched Methane as a Possible Shortcut Toward the Hydrogen Economy 60
1.2 Low Temperature Steam Reforming for Enriched Methane Production 61
2 Catalysts for Steam Reforming Processes 63
2.1 Active Phases and Promoters 63
3 Influence of the Support on the Performance of the Active Phase 66
4 Catalysts for Low Temperature Steam Reforming 69
4.1 General Concepts 69
5 Structure, Active Sites, and Mechanisms 70
6 Conclusions 74
References 75
5 Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion of Food Wastes for Hydrogen and Methane Production 81
Abstract 81
1 Introduction 82
2 General Process Description 83
3 Fermentative Hydrogen Production Process Parameters: Inhibition of Hydrogenotrophic Activity Treating Food Wastes 84
3.1 Inoculum and/or Substrate Treatments 85
3.2 Hydraulic Retention Time 86
3.3 Organic Loading Rate (OLR) 86
3.4 Temperature 87
4 Biohydrogen Production from Food Waste 87
4.1 Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion: Lab-Scale Tests on Effluent Recirculation for Hydrogen Production 89
4.2 Two-Phase Anaerobic Digestion: Pilot-Scale Tests on Effluent Recirculation for Hydrogen Production 90
4.3 Ammonia/Recirculation Control 91
5 Conclusions 93
Acknowledgements 94
References 94
6 Bio-production of Hydrogen and Methane Through Anaerobic Digestion Stages 97
Abstract 97
1 Introduction 98
2 Anaerobic Digestion Process 98
2.1 Hydrolysis 99
2.2 Acidogenesis 99
2.3 The Fermentation 100
2.4 Acetogenesis 101
2.5 Methanogenesis 101
3 Dark Fermentation and Its Limiting Factors 101
3.1 Main Process Parameters and Inhibition Factors 103
3.2 pH 103
3.3 Temperature 104
3.4 Hydrogen Partial Pressure 104
3.5 Volatile Fatty Acids 105
3.6 Resource Mapping 105
3.7 Concentration of Metal Ions 106
4 Microbial Ecology and Syntrophic Cooperation Between Microorganism 106
5 Biological Clean-up of Hydrogen Sulphide by Green Sulphur Bacteria Based Photobioreactor 109
6 Conclusions 111
References 112
7 Biological Hydrogen Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass 116
Abstract 116
1 Introduction 117
2 Sustainable Methods of Hydrogen Production 117
3 Lignocellulosic Biomass as a Feedstock for H2 Production 118
4 Biomass Recalcitration 119
5 The Process 120
5.1 Complete Conversion of Biomass 120
5.2 Significance of Active H2 Removal from the Bioreactor 122
5.2.1 PH2 and Concentration of H2 in Aqueous Phase (H2,Aq) 122
5.2.2 Sparging and Choice of Reactor 122
6 Ideal Biohydrogen Producer: Desirable Metabolic Features 124
6.1 Ability to Produce H2 at High Yields 124
6.2 Hydrolytic Capacity and Growth on Renewable Feedstock 125
6.3 Absence of Carbon Catabolite Repression 125
6.4 Ability to Withstand High PH2 126
6.5 Ability to Grow in a Minimal Medium 126
6.6 Feasibility of Strain Improvement 127
6.7 Ability to Withstand High Osmotic Pressure 127
7 Conclusions 128
References 128
8 Purification of Hydrogen-Methane Mixtures Using PSA Technology 133
Abstract 133
1 Introduction 134
2 The PSA Process 136
3 PSA for the CO2 Removal from CO2--CH4--H2 Mixture Produced by Solar Steam Reforming of Natural Gas 138
3.1 Process Definition 138
3.2 PSA Simulation Model 139
3.3 Adsorbent Materials 140
3.4 PSA Cycles for CO2 Separation from CH4--CO2--H2 Mixture 143
3.4.1 Cycle A 143
3.4.2 Cycle B 145
3.5 The Off-gas 146
3.6 PSA for CH4 Recovery 147
3.7 Overall Process 148
4 Conclusions 149
References 150
9 Emissions and Efficiency of Turbocharged Lean-Burn Hydrogen-Supplemented Natural Gas Fueled Engines 151
Abstract 151
1 Introduction 152
2 The Need for Turbocharging 153
3 Turbocharged Lean-Burn Engine Studies 154
4 Comparison and Discussion of Published Results 156
5 Amount of Hydrogen Supplementation 156
6 MBT Spark Timing 158
7 Oxides of Nitrogen Emissions (NOx) 159
7.1 Vehicle Emissions of NOx 160
8 Total Hydrocarbon (THC) Emissions 161
8.1 Catalytic After Treatment of Hydrocarbon Emissions 164
8.2 Vehicle THC Emissions 165
9 Carbon Monoxide Emissions 166
9.1 Catalytic Aftertreatment of CO 169
9.2 Vehicle Emissions of CO 169
10 Engine Efficiency 170
10.1 Vehicle Fuel Efficiency 171
11 NOx--THC Trade-off 172
12 Particulate Matter Emissions 173
12.1 Vehicle Emissions of PM 174
13 Conclusions 175
Acknowledgments 175
References 175
10 Using Natural Gas/Hydrogen Mixture as a Fuel in a 6-Cylinder Stoichiometric Spark Ignition Engine 178
Abstract 178
1 Introduction 179
2 Theoretical Effects of Hydrogen Content on Engine Performance and Vehicle Range Operation 181
3 Experimental Data on Effect of Air Index and EGR on Combustion 182
4 Experimental Comparison of Stoichiometric and Lean Burn on the ETC Cycle 192
5 Conclusions 195
References 196
11 Enriched Methane for City Public Transport Buses 198
Abstract 198
1 Introduction 199
2 NG and H2 as Clean Fuel in ICE 202
3 Enriched NG for H2 Ready Fueled Vehicles 204
4 Mhybus Experience 205
4.1 Approval Procedure 206
4.1.1 Energy Consumption 207
4.1.2 Exhaust Emissions 207
4.1.3 Safety 207
4.1.4 Refilling Operation 208
5 Mhybus Testing Results 209
6 Economic Evaluation 213
7 Conclusion 214
References 215
12 Exploring New Production Methods of Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends 217
Abstract 217
1 Introduction 218
1.1 Mixing Hydrogen into the Natural Gas Grid 218
1.2 Enriched Methane 219
2 Production of H2/NG Mixtures from NG 219
2.1 Production of H2/NG Using Incomplete SMR 219
2.2 Production of H2/NG Mixtures Using an Internal Reforming Fuel Cell 221
2.3 Solving the Chicken and Egg Problem in Hydrogen for the Transport Sector 224
2.4 Integrating Fluctuating Renewable Energy Sources into the Electricity Grid 225
2.5 Production of EM for the Transport Sector 226
2.6 Production of H2/NG Mixtures by Methane Decomposition 227
2.7 Use of Carbon Black 228
2.8 Commercial Carbon Black Production 229
2.9 Thermal Decomposition of Methane by CSP 229
2.10 Decomposition of Methane in High-Temperature Fuel Cells 230
2.11 Plasma Decomposition of Methane 231
3 Hydrogen/Methane Blends from Biomass 232
3.1 Bioreactors 232
3.2 Supercritical Gasification of Biomass 232
4 Conclusions 233
Acknowledgments 233
References 234
13 Explosion Risks of Hydrogen/Methane Blends 237
Abstract 237
1 Introduction 239
2 Safety Challenges and Risk Assessments 240
3 Combustion Properties of Hydrogen--Methane Blends 243
4 CFD Modelling---Explosion Analyses 245
5 CFD Tool FLACS 247
5.1 Validation for Methane (Natural Gas), Hydrogen, and EM Explosions 248
6 Practical Explosion Studies for Enriched Methane 252
7 Conclusions 256
References 257