Gasification of sewage sludge and other biomass for hydrogen production in supercritical water

Xiadong Xu

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822

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Michael Jerry Antal Jr.,

Michael Jerry Antal Jr.

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822

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Xiadong Xu,

Xiadong Xu

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822

Search for more papers by this author

Michael Jerry Antal Jr.,

Michael Jerry Antal Jr.

Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and the Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822

Search for more papers by this author

First published: 31 July 2006

https://doi.org/10.1002/ep.670170411

Citations: 122

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Abstract

Digested sewage sludge and other biomass such as wood saw-dust can be mixed with a corn starch gel to form a viscous paste. This paste can be delivered to a supercritical flow reactor by means of a cement pump. Different types of feedstocks are used in this work: sewage sludge (up to 7.69 wt%) mixed in the corn starch paste, poplar wood sawdust (up to 11.46 wt%) mixed in the corn starch paste. When rapidly heated in a flow reactor at pressures above the critical pressure of water (22 MPa) the paste vaporizes. A packed bed of carbon catalyst in the reactor operating at 650°C causes the tarry vapors to react with water, producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and some methane with a trace of carbon monoxide. Thus we describe a practical method for the total, supercritical steam reforming of biomass to produce hydrogen at high pressure. The steam reforming process produces effectively no tar. Its only products are a hydrogen rich gas, and a clean water, which can be recycled.

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Volume17, Issue4

Winter 1998

Pages 215-220

Gasification of sewage sludge and other biomass for hydrogen production in supercritical water

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Gasification of sewage sludge and other biomass for hydrogen production in supercritical water

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