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Exploring New Production Methods of Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends

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Enriched Methane

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

In this chapter, we present concepts for hydrogen production technologies that create mixtures of hydrogen with natural gas, for either the gas grid or the standalone fuel; enriched methane. In the production of hydrogen from the natural gas itself, full conversion of methane into hydrogen is no longer necessary, as it is in conventional hydrogen production technologies, because the hydrogen is to be mixed with natural gas. In this study explored the production of hydrogen/natural gas blends through steam reforming of natural gas and through thermal and plasma decomposition of methane. The production methods considered are assessed on a conceptual design level. An interesting option is the production of hydrogen/natural gas blends by an internal reforming fuel cell, whereby effective heat integration is applied and at the same time electricity is produced at high total efficiency. We also investigate potentially simplified conversion routes from biomass compared to current conversion routes that aim at the production of pure hydrogen. Two examples, supercritical gasification and a bio-technological route, illustrate the production of hydrogen/natural gas blends from biomass.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    It is assumed that in the reformed natural gas the CO is completely converted into hydrogen by the water gas shift reaction.

Abbreviations

ΔG (J/mol):

Change in Gibbs free energy

ΔH (J/mol):

Change in enthalpy

η :

Efficiency

η fc :

Fuel cell efficiency

ΔS (J/mol K):

Change in entropy

T (K):

Temperature

V (Volt):

Volt

i (A/m2):

Current density

r (Ω m2):

Specific internal resistance

u f :

Fuel utilization

α (Volt):

Slope of local Nernst potential as a function of u f

CHP:

Combined heat and power

CSP:

Concentrated solar power

DCFC:

Direct carbon fuel cell

HHV:

Higher heating value

EM:

Enriched methane

ICE:

Internal combustion engine

IR:

Internal reforming

MCFC:

Molten carbonate fuel cell

NG:

Natural gas

SMR:

Steam methane reforming

SOFC:

Solid oxide fuel cell

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Acknowledgments

This chapter is based on the research performed in the framework of the Dutch national project “The Greening of Gas” Project number EETK01011. The author acknowledges the contribution of his co-authors in this early article [1]. The work has partly been financed by a grant of the Energy Delta Gas Research (EDGaR) program. EDGaR is co-financed by the Northern Netherlands Provinces, the European Fund for Regional Development, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and the Province of Groningen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TU Delft, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands

    Kas Hemmes

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  1. Kas Hemmes
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Correspondence to Kas Hemmes .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Marcello De Falco

  2. ITM-CNR, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy

    Angelo Basile

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Hemmes, K. (2016). Exploring New Production Methods of Hydrogen/Natural Gas Blends. In: De Falco, M., Basile, A. (eds) Enriched Methane. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22192-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22192-2_12

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22191-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22192-2

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