Dry reforming of biogas in a pilot unit: Scale-up of catalyst synthesis and green hydrogen production

A pilot experimental unit was constructed to produce synthesis gas from the dry reforming (DR) of biogas, and its operation was monitored during reaction assays. A scale-up was performed on synthesizing a Ni granulated catalyst, supported on mesoporous silica. The catalyst activity was evaluated under processes of induced deactivation, followed by regeneration during a 90-h reaction. The reaction variables studied included the volumetric composition of the inlet gas flow to the reactor (40-70%CH4 and 60-30%CO2), metal content (5-20% by mass), and inlet gas flow rate (684-2844 L h-1). The catalyst with the metal content of 20% provided the best conversions (99%CH4 and 97%CO2). The experimental pilot unit is capable of producing 575 L h-1 of green H2 from biogas. The regeneration step effectively eliminated coke from the catalyst surface, resulting in the recovery of catalytic performance.(c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A pilot experimental unit was constructed to produce synthesis gas from biogas and its operation was monitored during reaction assays. The catalyst activity was evaluated under induced deactivation and regeneration processes, resulting in the identification of optimal conditions for conversion rate and hydrogen production.