THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF METHANE-GLYCEROL DRY REFORMING TO HYDROGEN

Abstract

As the world strives for sustainable development, renewable energy is one of the crucial energy resources for daily consumption. Hydrogen is well known as a new renewable source that is clean and low cost. There are numerous methods to produce hydrogen but the challenge lies in the cleanest way and process that yield the most less effect towards global climate change. Thermodynamic modelling research using Gibbs free energy minimization is widely used in production of hydrogen as well as other products (CO, CO2, C, CH4, C2H4 and C2H6). In this study, dry reforming reaction was performed to determine the optimum thermodynamic properties for hydrogen production. Equilibrium composition was determined at reaction temperature (500-1300oC) and absolute pressure (1-5 bars) and with the considerations of molar ratios for glycerol-methane/CO2 (GMC) at ratios of (1:1:1 – 12:1:1, 1:3:1 – 1:12:1, 1:1:3 – 1:1:12). The optimum production of H2, CO, CO2 and C shows for dry reforming reactions where the temperature of reaction at 1273K with 1 bar pressure and the molar ratios for GMC at 12:1:1 exhibited the maximum production of H2.