Thermodynamic investigation of SNG production based on dual fluidized bed gasification of biogenic residues

Natural gas is an important commodity in the European energy market. The gasification of biogenic residues and the further reaction to a methane-rich gas represent a promising concept for the production of synthetic natural gas on a fossil-free basis. This paper investigates the thermodynamics of methanation in a fluidized bed reactor for different product gas compositions of the dual fluidized bed gasification technology. The investigated product gases range from conventional steam gasification, over CO(2)gasification, to product gases from the sorption enhanced reforming process. All investigated product gases from conventional steam gasification show an understoichiometric composition and therefore require a proper handling of carbon depositions and a CO(2)separation unit downstream of the methanation reactor. The product gas from CO(2)gasification is considered disadvantageous for the investigated process, because it only exhibits a carbon utilization efficiency of 23%. Due to the high flexibility of the sorption enhanced reforming process, a nearly complete methanation of the carbonaceous species is possible without the need for a CO(2)separation step or the addition of steam upstream of the methanation reactor. Furthermore, the carbon utilization efficiency is found to be between 36 and 38%, similar to the results for conventional steam gasification. Temperature and pressure variations allow a thermodynamically optimized operation, which can increase the performance of the methanation and lower the extent of gas upgrading for grid feed-in. Additionally, if a higher hydrogen content in the natural gas grid would be allowed, the overall process chain could be further optimized and simplified.

Automated summary

This paper investigates the thermodynamics of methanation in a fluidized bed reactor and finds that the sorption enhanced reforming process has high flexibility and carbon utilization efficiency. It allows nearly complete methanation without the need for a CO(2) separation step or steam addition, increasing performance and reducing gas upgrading.