Thermodynamic analysis of ethanol reforming for hydrogen production

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 911 - 924
• Main Authors: Sun, Shaohui, Yan, Wei, Sun, Peiqin, Chen, Junwu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Auto-thermal reforming; Computer simulation; Consistency; Deviation; Energy; Ethanol; Ethyl alcohol; Exact sciences and technology; Hydrogen; hydrogen production; Moles; oxidation; Partial oxidation; Reforming; steam; Steam reforming; temperature; Thermal efficiency; Thermodynamic analysis; thermodynamics; Steam reforming; Thermodynamic analysis; Ethanol; Auto-thermal reforming; Hydrogen; Partial oxidation
• ISSN: 0360-5442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2012.04.059

This work presents the simulated equilibrium compositions of ethanol steam reforming (SR), partial oxidation (POX) and auto-thermal reforming (ATR) at a large temperature range, steam-to-ethanol and oxygen-to-ethanol molar ratios. The simulation work shows that the moles of hydrogen yield per mole ethanol are of this order: SR > ATR > POX. The results are compared with other simulation works and fitted models, which show that all the simulation results obtained with different methods agree well with each other. And the fitted models are in highly consistency with very small deviations. Moreover, the thermal-neutral point in corresponding to temperature, steam-to-ethanol and oxygen-to-ethanol mole ratios of ethanol ATR is estimated. The result shows that with the increasing of oxygen-to-ethanol mole ratio, the T-N point moves to higher temperatures; with the increasing of steam-to-ethanol mole ratio, the T-N point moves to lower temperatures. Furthermore, the energy exchanges of the reforming process and the whole process and the thermal efficiencies are also analyzed in the present work and that the energy demands and generated in the whole process are greater than the reforming process can be obtained. Finally, the optimum reaction conditions are selected. ► The equilibrium compositions simulated by different researchers with different methods are compared. ► The simulation results are fitted with polynomials for convenient reference. ► The energy balance and thermal efficiencies are analyzed. ► The optimum reaction conditions of ethanol POX, SR and ATR for hydrogen production are selected.