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Direct production of flexible H2/CO synthesis gas in a solid electrolyte membrane reactor

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Abstract

The development of novel configurations for the production of synthesis gas (syn-gas) of flexible H2/CO ratio is of great importance to reduce the cost for the synthesis of synfuels and high-value chemicals. In this work, we propose a radically novel approach to the direct production of syn-gas with flexible H2/CO ratio based on the solid electrolyte membrane reactor (SEMR). For that purpose, a single-chamber solid electrolyte membrane reactor based on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) has been developed (Pt/YSZ/Pt), where both active Pt catalysts–electrodes were exposed to the same reaction atmosphere (C2H5OH/H2O = 0.7 %/2 %). The application of different polarizations at temperature range (600–700 °C) allows to control the H2/CO ratio of the obtained syn-gas, i.e., the ratio was varied between 1.5 and 12 under polarization conditions. Unlike conventional catalytic partial oxidation processes, the H2/CO adjustment was managed without the requirement of external O2 feeding to the reactor. An increase in the applied current or potential caused the H2/CO ratio to increase vs. the open-circuit conditions where ethanol reforming occurred on the Pt catalyst–electrodes which is due to an increase in the rate of the electro-catalytic processes. On the other hand, a decrease in the H2/CO ratio at a fixed potential was achieved at higher temperatures due to the further reaction of the produced H2 with the rest of the species present in the gas phase, leading to a decrease in the faradaic efficiency. The proposed configuration may be of great interest especially for biorefinery applications where H2, syn-gas and electricity may be produced from bioethanol.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Facultad de Ciencias y Tecnologías Químicas, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain

    A. de Lucas-Consuegra, N. Gutiérrez-Guerra & J. L. Valverde

  2. School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, UK

    J. L. Endrino

  3. Abengoa Research, Abengoa, C/Energía Solar no. 1, Palmas Altas, Sevilla, 41014, Spain

    J. C. Serrano-Ruiz

Authors
  1. A. de Lucas-Consuegra
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  2. N. Gutiérrez-Guerra
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  3. J. L. Endrino
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  4. J. C. Serrano-Ruiz
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  5. J. L. Valverde
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Correspondence to A. de Lucas-Consuegra.

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de Lucas-Consuegra, A., Gutiérrez-Guerra, N., Endrino, J.L. et al. Direct production of flexible H2/CO synthesis gas in a solid electrolyte membrane reactor. J Solid State Electrochem 19, 2991–2999 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-015-2922-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-015-2922-8

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