Hydrogen production from ethanol in nitrogen microwave plasma at atmospheric pressure

作者：Hrycak Bartosz^*; Czylkowski Dariusz; Miotk Robert; Dors Miroslaw; Jasinski Mariusz; Mizeraczyk Jerzy

来源：Open Chemistry, 2015, 13(1): 317-324.

DOI：10.1515/chem-2015-0039

• hydrogen production
• microwave plasma
• atmospheric pressure
• liquid hydrocarbons
• ethanol reforming

Hydrogen seems to be one of the most promising alternative energy sources. It is a renewable fuel as it could be produced from e.g. waste or bio-ethanol. Furthermore hydrogen is compatible with fuel cells and is environmentally clean. In contrast to conventional methods of hydrogen production such as water electrolysis or coal gasification we propose a method based on atmospheric pressure microwave plasma. In this paper we present results of the experimental investigations of hydrogen production from ethanol in the atmospheric pressure plasma generated in waveguide-supplied cylindrical type nozzleless microwave (2.45 GHz) plasma source (MPS). Nitrogen was used as a working gas. All experimental tests were performed with the nitrogen flow rate Q ranged from 1500 to 3900 NL h(-1) and absorbed microwave power P-A up to 5 kW. Ethanol was introduced into the plasma using the induction heating vaporizer. The process resulted in an ethanol conversion rate greater than 99%. The hydrogen production rate was up to 728 NL[H-2] h(-1) and the energy efficiency was 178 NL[H-2] per kWh of absorbed microwave energy.

• 出版日期2015-1