Biomass utilization for energy production is carbon-neutral. Hydrogen production from the HTG of biomass is a potentially cheaper and eco-friendly process based on renewable biomass. For instance, the optimal temperature range required for hydrogen production is much lower compared to conventional gasification.
Despite the progress achieved in the past 20 years in this area of research, there are still some issues to be resolved in order to ensure large-scale industrial application of HTG for hydrogen production;
(a) There is a need to streamline the range of feedstocks suitable for HTG of biomass into hydrogen at moderately mild conditions. Research has focused on using all types of biomass; however same research results point toward car- bohydrate-type biomass as being suitable for hydrogen production.
0 5 10 15 20 25
Coal Activated Carbon
Coconut Shell Activated Carbon
Macadamia Shell Charcoal
Spruce wood Charcoal
Hydrogen Yield, mol/kg
Types of Carbon Catalyst
Fig. 10.10 Effect of activated carbons from different sources on hydrogen yields from HTG of 1.2 M glucose solution at 873 K. Adapted from Ref. [85], Copyright 1996, with permission from Elsevier
(b) Research shows that biomass needs to be transformed into pumpable slurries for continuous operation of a HTG process. To achieve this goal, there will be a need to develop low-cost preprocessing techniques to convert carbohydrate- type biomass to suitable water soluble hydrogen-forming precursors such as simple carboxylic acids. This will ensure that feedstocks are transformed into appropriate forms for continuous processing into hydrogen. In addition, high concentration of soluble biomass-derived feedstocks can be used to ensure high thermal efficiency of the system.
(c) Commercialization of HTG process for hydrogen production will benefit from a detailed knowledge of the reaction kinetics and how they favor hydrogen production. Current knowledge indicates that conversion of biomass into ga- sifiable intermediates occur at slow rates, whereas water-gas shift reaction is relatively fast. To improve biomass conversion to hydrogen, there is need to improve the reaction rates involved in the reforming of the original biomass or the intermediate species.
(d) Appropriate catalysts will need to be developed based on the current knowl- edge and future research. For example, current knowledge indicates that the presence of alkali favor hydrogen production but their recovery is difficult.
Metal catalysts such as ruthenium favor simultaneous production of both hydrogen and methane. Development of a synergist catalyst based on alkali and appropriate metals may be a way forward.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
18 wt% Glucose, 773K
22 wt% Glucose, 873K
3 wt% Sewage sludge, 873K
10 wt% Corn starch, 923K
12 wt% Potato starch, 983K
Hydrogen Yield, mol/kg
Feed loadings and reaction temperatures
Fig. 10.11 Hydrogen yields from carbon-catalyzed HTG of biomass in continuous reactors [67,84,85]
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Hydrothermal Conversion of Biomass into Other Useful Products
Review of Biomass Conversion in High Pressure High Temperature Water (HHW) Including Recent Experimental Results (Isomerization and Carbonization)
Masaru Watanabe, Taku M. Aida and Richard Lee Smith
Abstract In this chapter, we briefly explain unique properties of high pressure high temperature water (HHW). In high pressure media, concentration of reactant can be controlled by changing temperature and pressure, and the reaction rate (also product distribution) can be controlled. In addition, in the presence of solvent (water is concerned here), the properties of the solvent can also be adjusted by pressure and temperature, and the control of solvent properties can help to improve the reaction rate and selectivity. Some of important reactions occurring in the high pressure high temperature water (HHW) media are summarized and the relation- ship between the reactions and the products is roughly categorized into gasifica- tion, liquefaction, and carbonization. Briefly, over 400C, radical reaction is dominant and thus gasification (small fragment formation) occurs. Between 200 and 400C, both ionic and radial reactions competitively occur and biomass conversion can be controlled widely by changing temperature and pressures.
Therefore, production of chemical block for industries is performed in the tem- perature range. Below 200C, namely low temperature and high density of water (liquid phase of water), hydrolysis and dehydration are favored because ionic reactions are predominant. Through dehydration between molecules (high con- centration condition is preferred), carbonization is also developed. Concerning each product category, our research topics are briefly overviewed. Finally, our recent experimental results for isomerization of glucose and carbonization of biomass are roughly introduced.
M. Watanabe (&)R. L. Smith
Research Center of Supercritical Fluid Technology, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan e-mail: meijin@scf.che.tohoku.ac.jp
M. WatanabeT. M. AidaR. L. Smith
Department of Environmental Study, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
F. Jin (ed.),Application of Hydrothermal Reactions to Biomass Conversion, Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-54458-3_11, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014
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