Catalytic steam reforming of simulated bio-oil for green hydrogen production using highly active LaNixCo1-xO3 perovskite catalyst

Catalytic steam reforming (SR) of agricultural waste derived bio-oil for hydrogen production is a unique technology, offering twin benefits of waste management as well as sustainable energy production. In the...

Crude Glycerol as a Potential Feedstock for Future Energy via Thermochemical Conversion Processes: A Review

Biodiesel is an emerging substitute for petroleum-based products. It is considered an ecologically safe and sustainable fuel. The high cost of biodiesel production is linearly related to its feedstock. Crude glycerol, which is a by-product of the biodiesel industry, is also a major challenge that must be addressed. A large volume of crude glycerol needs to be disposed of, and this involves processing, dumping, and land requirements. This increases the cost of biodiesel production. One way to decrease the cost of biodiesel production is to utilize its by-product to make valuable products. Crude glycerol can be processed to produce a variety of chemicals and products. The present utilization of crude glycerol is not enough to bring down its surplus availability. Thermochemical conversion processes can utilize crude glycerol as a starting feedstock and convert it into solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels. The utilization of crude glycerol through integrated thermochemical conversion processes could lead to an integrated biorefinery. This review paper highlights the research scope for areas where crude glycerol could be utilized as a feedstock or co-feedstock in thermochemical conversion technology. Various thermochemical conversion processes, namely, gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, catalytic steam reforming, liquefaction, and supercritical water reforming, are discussed and shown to be highly suitable for the use of crude glycerol as an economical feedstock. It is found that the integration of crude glycerol with other thermochemical conversion processes for energy production is a promising option to overcome the challenges related to biodiesel production costs. Hence, this paper provides all the necessary information on the present utilization status of crude glycerol in thermochemical conversion processes, as well as identifying possible research gaps that could be filled by future research studies.

Discrete Simulation Model of Industrial Natural Gas Primary Reformer in Ammonia Production and Related Evaluation of the Catalyst Performance

The catalytic steam reforming process of natural gas consumes up to approximately 60% of overall energy used in ammonia production. The optimization of the reforming catalyst performance can significantly improve the operation of the whole ammonia plant. An on-line model uses actual process parameters to optimize and reconcile the data of primary reforming products with possibility to predict the catalyst performance. The model uses a combination of commercial simulator and open-source code based on scripts and functions in form of m. file to calculate various physical properties of reacting gases. The optimization of steady-state flowsheet, based on real-time plant data from the distributed control system (DCS), is essential for the application of the model at the industrial level. The simplicity of the calculation method used by the model provides the fundamental basis for the industrial application in the frame of digitalization initiative. The principal aim of the optimization procedure is to change the working curve for methane regarding its equilibrium curve as well as methane outlet molar concentration. This is the critical process parameter in reforming catalyst operation. Industrial top fired primary reformer unit based on Kellogg Inc. technology design served for the validation of the model. Calculation procedure is used for continuous on-line evaluation of the most commercially available primary reformer catalysts. Based on the conducted evaluation, the model can indicate possible recommendations which can mitigate marginal performance and prolong reformer catalyst lifetime.