Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hydrothermal Gasification of Biomass for Hydrogen Production

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Application of Hydrothermal Reactions to Biomass Conversion

Part of the book series: Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology ((GCST))

Abstract

Over 90 % of the world’s current hydrogen production capacity comes from the use of fossil fuels including coal, oil, and natural gas. In recent years, natural gas has become the major source of hydrogen. However, these fossil fuels are finite resources, produce greenhouse gases, and will eventually run out. Biomass presents a proven store of chemical energy, which can be converted into hydrogen by various processes. Hydrogen from biomass will be the world’s cleanest fuel, being produced from a renewable carbon-neutral source and its combustion produces no carbon emissions. Hydrothermal gasification has the potential to produce high quality and high yield of hydrogen from, especially, very wet biomass feedstocks and particularly the carbohydrate-rich types. Water is an important reactant for hydrogen production in biomass HTG, thereby avoiding dewatering of wet feedstocks. The chemistry of hydrogen production from biomass HTG largely depends on the reforming of biomass into simple organic molecules that are capable of being gasified into carbon monoxide. Hydrogen is then produced via water-gas shift reaction. The developments of various reactor designs and catalysts for high hydrogen selectivities are ongoing at various research centers around the world. A great deal of knowledge about this process is available, however, there are still challenges regarding the stability and recovery of catalysts, preprocessing of biomass for continuous operations and other process optimization and intensification issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. IEA (2008). World Energy Outlook. OECD/IEA. IEA, Head of Communication and Information Office, Paris, France

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ladanai S, Vinterback J (2009) Global potential of sustainable biomass for energy. Report ISSN 1654-9406

    Google Scholar 

  3. OECD/IEA (2013) Working together to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hall DO, Rosilo-Calle F, de Groot P (1992) Biomass energy: lessons fron case studies in developing countries. Energ Policy 20(1):62–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Stucki S, Vogel F, Ludwig C, Haiduc AG, Brandenberger M (2009) Catalytic gasification of algae in supercritical water for biofuel production and carbon capture. Energy Environ Sci 2:535–541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Clarens AF, Resurreccion EP, White MA, Colosi LM (2010) Environmental life cycle comparison of algae to other bioenergy feedstocks. Environ Sci Technol 44:1813–1819

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. National Algae Association (2011) NAA Algae Oil and Biomass White Paper, United States

    Google Scholar 

  8. Industrial gases by the chemical economics handbook, SRI (Oct 2007)

    Google Scholar 

  9. The hydrogen economy: opportunities, costs, barriers, and R&D needs (2004); National Research Council and National Academy of Engineering. The National Academic Press: Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dunn S (2001) Hydrogen futures: toward a sustainable energy system. Worldwatch Institute, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  11. The Freedonia Group (2009) Industrial Gases to 2013

    Google Scholar 

  12. Silveira S (2005) Bioenergy: realizing the potential. Swedish Energy Agency, Eskilstuna

    Google Scholar 

  13. Roberts D (2007) Globalization and Its Implications for the Indian Forest Sector. TIFAC/IIASA Joint Workshop “Economic, Societal and Environmental Benefits Provided by the Indian Forests”, New Delhi, India

    Google Scholar 

  14. Balat M, Balat M (2009) Political, economic and environmental impacts of biomass-based hydrogen. Int J Hydrogen Energy 35:3589–3603

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. PATH (2011) Annual Report on World Progress in Hydrogen. Partnership for Advancing the Transition to Hydrogen (PATH), Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  16. Guo L, Cao C, Lu Y (2010) Supercritical water gasification of biomass and organic wastes. In: Momba M, Bux Faizal (eds) Biomass. Sciyo, Croatia. ISBN 978-953-307-113-8, 202

    Google Scholar 

  17. Modell M (1985) Gasification and liquefaction of forest products in supercritical water (2005). In: Overend RP, Milne TA, Mudge LK (eds) Fundamentals of thermochemical biomass conversion. Elsevier, London, pp 95–120

    Google Scholar 

  18. Elliott DC (2008) Catalytic hydrothermal gasification of biomass. Biofuels Bioprod Biorefin 2:254–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Peterson AA, Vogel F, Lachance RP, Fröling M, Antal MJ Jr, Tester W (2008) Thermochemical biofuel production in hydrothermal media: a review of sub- and supercritical water technologies. Energy Environ Sci 1:32–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kruse A, Gawlik A (2003) Biomass conversion in water at 330–410 °C and 30–50 MPa. Identification of key compounds for indicating different chemical reaction pathways. Ind Eng Chem Res 42:267–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Susanti RF, Dianningrum LW, Yum Y, Kim Y, Lee BG, Kim J (2012) High-yield hydrogen production from glucose by supercritical water gasification without added catalyst. Int J Hydrogen Energy 37:11677–11690

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Kruse A (2009) Hydrothermal biomass liquefaction. J Supercrit Fluids 47:391–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Kikkinides ES, Yang RT (1993) Concentration and recovery of CO2 from flue gas by pressure swing adsorption. Ind Eng Chem Res 23:2714–2720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Sedlak JM, Austin JF, La Conti AB (1981) Hydrogen recovery and purification using the solid polymer electrolyte electrolysis cell. Int J Hydrogen Energy 6(1):45–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lee HK, Choi HY, Choi KH, Park JH, Lee TH (2004) Hydrogen separation using the electrochemical method. J Power Sources 132(1):92–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Ibeh B, Gardner C, Ternan M (2007) Separation of hydrogen from a hydrogen/methane mixture using a PEM fuel cell. Int J Hydrogen Energy 32:908–914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Fiori L, Valbusa M, Castello D (2012) Supercritical water gasification of biomass for H2 production: process design. Bioresour Technol 121:139–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Savage PE (1999) Organic reactions in supercritical water. Chem Rev 99:603–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Yanik J, Ebale S, Kruse A, Saglam M, Yüksel M (2008) Biomass gasification in supercritical water: II. Effect of catalyst. Int J Hydrogen Energy 33(2008):4520–4526

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. T-Raissi A, Block DL (2004) Hydrogen: automotive fuel of the future. IEEE Power Energ Mag 2:40–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2010) Hydrothermal reactions of sodium formate and sodium acetate as model intermediate products of the sodium hydroxide-promoted hydrothermal gasification of biomass. Green Chem 12:2214–2222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2011) Reactions of different carbonaceous materials in alkaline media for hydrogen gas production. Green Chem 13:2837–2843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2013) Hydrogen and methane selectivity during alkaline supercritical water gasification of biomass with ruthenium-alumina catalyst. Appl Catal B 132–133:70–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Oefner PJ, Lanziner AH, Bonn G, Bobleter O (1992) Quantitative studies on furfural and organic acid formation during hydrothermal, acidic and alkaline degradation of D-xylose. Monatsh Chem 123:547–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Sinag A, Kruse A, Schwarzkopf V (2003) Key compounds of the hydropyrolysis of glucose in supercritical water in the presence of K2CO3. Ind Eng Chem Res 42(15):3516–3521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2009) Role of sodium hydroxide in the production of hydrogen gas from the hydrothermal gasification of biomass. Int J Hydrogen Energy 34:5645–5656

    Google Scholar 

  37. Chuntanapum A, Matsumura Y (2009) Formation of tarry material from 5-HMF in subcritical and supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 48:9837–9846

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Jin F, Zhou Z, Kishita A, Enomoto H, Kishida H, Moriya T (2007) A new hydrothermal process for producing acetic acid from biomass waste. Trans IChemE A: Chem Eng Res Des 85(A2):201–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Jin F, Yun J, Li G, Kishita A, Tohji K, Enomoto H (2008) Hydrothermal conversion of carbohydrate biomass into formic acid at mild temperatures. Green Chem 10:612–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Jin F, Zhou Z, Moriya T, Kishida A, Higashijima H, Enomoto H (2009) Controlling hydrothermal reaction pathways to improve acetic acid production from carbohydrate biomass. Environ Sci Technol 39:1893–1902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Hsieh Y, Du Y, Jin F, Zhou Z, Enomoto H (2009) Alkaline pre-treatment of rice hulls for hydrothermal production of acetic acid. Chem Eng Res Des 87:13–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Kruse A, Dinjus E (2003) Hydrogen from methane and supercritical water. Angew Chem Int Ed 42(8):909–911

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Li Y, Fu Q, Flytzani-Stephanopoulos M (2000) Low-temperature water-gas shift reaction over Cu- and Ni-loaded cerium oxide catalysts. Appl Catal B 27:179–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Broll D, Kaul C, Kramer A, Krammer P, Richter T, Jung M, Vogel H, Zehner P (1999) Chemistry in supercritical water. Angew Chem Int Ed 38(20):2998–3014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Sealock LJ, Elliott DC, Baker EG, Butner RS (1993) Chemical-processing in high-pressure aqueous environments. 1. Historical-perspective and continuing developments. Ind Eng Chem Res 32(8):1535–1541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Kumar A, Jones DD, Hanna MA (2009) Thermochemical biomass gasification: a review of the current status of the technology. Energies 2:556–581

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Madenoglu TG, Saglam M, Yuksel M, Ballice L (2013) Simultaneous effect of temperature and pressure on catalytic hydrothermal gasification of glucose. J Supercrit Fluids 73:151–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Cao C, Guo L, Chen Y, Guo S, Lu Y (2011) Hydrogen production from supercritical water gasification of alkaline wheat straw pulping black liquor in continuous flow system. Int J Hydrogen Energy 36:3528–3535

    Google Scholar 

  49. Guo LJ, Lu YJ, Zhang XM, Ji CM, Guan Y, Pei AX (2007) Hydrogen production by biomass gasification in supercritical water: a systematic experimental and analytical study. Catal Today 129:275–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Muangrat R, Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2010) Influence of NaOH, Ni/Al2O3 and Ni/SiO2 catalysts on hydrogen production from the subcritical water gasification of model food waste compounds. Appl Catal B 100(1–2):143–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Kruse A, Maniam P, Spieler F (2007) Influence of proteins on the hydrothermal gasification and liquefaction of biomass. 2. Model compounds. Ind Eng Chem Res 46(1):87–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Yanik J, Ebale S, Kruse A, Saglam M, Yuksel M (2007) Biomass gasification in supercritical water. Part 1: Effect of nature of biomass. Fuel 86:2410–2415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Osada M, Hiyoshi N, Sato O, Arai K, Shirai M (2007) Effect of sulfur on catalytic gasification of lignin in supercritical water. Energy Fuels 21:1400–1405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Onwudili JA, Lea-Langton AR, Ross AB, Williams PT (2012) Catalytic hydrothermal gasification of algae for hydrogen production: composition of reaction products and potential for nutrient recycling. Bioresour Technol 127C:72–80

    Google Scholar 

  55. Williams PT, Onwudili J (2006) Subcritical and supercritical water gasification of cellulose, starch, glucose, and biomass waste. Energy Fuels 20:1259–1265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Forchheim D, Gasson JR, Hornung U, Kruse A, Barth T (2012) Modeling the lignin degradation kinetics in a ethanol/formic acid solvolysis approach. Part 2: Validation and transfer to variable conditions. Ind Eng Chem Res 51(46):15053–15063

    Article  Google Scholar 

  57. Lu Y, Guo L, Zhang X, Ji C (2012) Hydrogen production by supercritical water gasification of biomass: explore the way to maximum hydrogen yield and high carbon gasification efficiency. Int J Hydrogen Energy 37:3177–3185

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Williams PT, Onwudili JA (2005) Composition of products from the supercritical water gasification of glucose: a model biomass compound. Ind Eng Chem Res 44:8739–8749

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Lu YJ, Jin H, Guo LJ, Zhang XM, Cao CQ, Guo X (2008) Hydrogen production by biomass gasification in supercritical water with a fluidized bed reactor. Int J Hydrogen Energy 33(21):6066–6075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  60. Muangrat R, Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2010) Reaction products from the subcritical water gasification of food wastes and glucose with NaOH and H2O2. Bioresour Technol 101:6812–6821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Lu YJ, Guo LJ, Ji CM, Zhang XM, Hao XH, Yan QH (2006) Hydrogen production by biomass gasification in supercritical water: a parametric study. Int J Hydrogen Energy 31:822–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  62. Demirbas A (2004) Hydrogen-rich gas from fruit shells via supercritical water extraction. Int J Hydrogen Energy 29(12):237–1243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  63. Alshammari YM, Hellgardt K (2012) Thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production via hydrothermal gasification of hexadecane. Int J Hydrogen Energy 37:5656–5664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Sinag A, Kruse A, Rathert J (2004) Influence of the heating rate and the type of catalyst on the formation of key intermediates and on the generation of gases during hydropyrolysis of glucose in supercritical water in a batch reactor. Ind Eng Chem Res 43(2):502–508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  65. Muangrat R, Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2011) Alkaline subcritical water gasification of dairy industry waste (Whey). Bioresour Technol 102:6331–6335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Antal MJ, Allen SG, Schulman D, Xu X (2000) Biomass gasification in supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 39:4040–4053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  67. Muangrat R, Onwudili JA, Williams PT (2010) Influence of alkali catalysts on the production of hydrogen-rich gas from the hydrothermal gasification of food processing waste. Appl Catal B 100(3–4):440–449

    Article  Google Scholar 

  68. Watanabe M, Inomata H, Osada M, Sato T, Adschiri T, Arai K (2003) Catalytic effects of NaOH and ZrO2 for partial oxidative gasification of n-hexadecane and lignin in supercritical water. Fuel 82(5):545–552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Madenoglu TG, Boukis N, Saglam M, Yuksel M (2011) Supercritical water gasification of real biomass feedstocks in continuous flow system. Int J Hydrogen Energy 36:14408–14415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Elliott DC, Sealock LJ Jr, Baker EG (1993) Chemical processing in high-pressure aqueous environments. 2. Development of catalysts for gasification. Ind Eng Chem Res 32:1542–1548

    Google Scholar 

  71. Osada M, Sato T, Watanabe M, Shirai M, Arai K (2005) Catalytic gasification of wood biomass in subcritical and supercritical water. Combust Sci Technol 177:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  72. Osada M, Sato O, Arai K, Shirai M (2006) Stability of supported ruthenium catalysts for lignin gasification in supercritical water. Energy Fuels 20:2337–2343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Lee IG, Ihm SK (2009) Catalytic gasification of glucose over Ni/Activated charcoal in supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 48:1435–1440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Yamaguchi A, Hiyoshi N, Sato O, Bando KK, Osada M, Shirai M (2009) Hydrogen production from woody biomass over supported metal catalysts in supercritical water. Catal Today 146:192–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  75. Osada M, Yamaguchi A, Hiyoshi N, Sato O, Shirai M (2012) Stability of catalysts for lignin gasification in supercritical water. Energy Fuels 26:3179–3186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  76. Azadi P, Khan S, Strobel F, Azadi F, Farnood R (2012) Hydrogen production from cellulose, lignin, bark and model carbohydrates in supercritical water using nickel and ruthenium catalysts. Appl Catal B 117–118:330–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  77. Azadi P, Khodadadi AA, Mortazavi Y, Farnood R (2009) Hydrothermal gasification of glucose using Raney nickel and homogeneous organometallic catalysts. Fuel Process Technol 90:145–151

    Article  Google Scholar 

  78. Zhang L, Champagne P, Xu C (2011) Supercritical water gasification of a aqueous by-product from biomass hydrothermal liquefaction with novel Ru modified Ni catalysts. Biorefin Technol 102:8279–8287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Hao X, Guo L, Zhang X, Guan Y (2005) Hydrogen production from catalytic gasification of cellulose in supercritical water. Chem Eng J 110:57–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  80. May A, Salvado J, Torras C, Montane D (2010) Catalytic gasification of glycerol in supercritical water. Chem Eng J 160:751–759

    Article  Google Scholar 

  81. Byrd AJ, Pant KK, Gupta RB (2008) Hydrogen production from glycerol by reforming in supercritical water over Ru/Al2O3 catalyst. Fuel 87:2956–2960

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Takuya Y, Yoshito O (2004) Partial oxidative and catalytic biomass gasification in supercritical water: a promising flow reactor system. Ind Eng Chem Res 43:4097–4104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  83. Zhang L, Xu C, Champagne P (2012) Activity and stability of a novel Ru modified Ni catalyst for hydrogen generation by supercritical water gasification of glucose. Fuel 96:541–545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  84. Xu X, Antal MJ (1998) Gasification of sewage sludge and other biomass for hydrogen production in supercritical water. Environ Prog 17:215–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  85. Xu X, Matsumura Y, Stenberg J, Antal MJ Jr (1996) Carbon-catalyzed gasification of organic feedstocks in supercritical water. Ind Eng Chem Res 35:2522–2530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  86. Yanagida T, Minowa T, Shimizu Y, Matsumura Y, Noda Y (2009) Recovery of activated carbon catalyst, calcium, nitrogen and phosphate from effluent following supercritical water gasification of poultry manure. Bioresour Technol 100:4884–4886

    Article  Google Scholar 

  87. Azadi P, Farnood R (2011) Review of heterogeneous catalysts for sub- and supercritical water gasification of biomass and wastes. Int J Hydrogen Energy 36(16):9529–9541

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Research Institute, School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering, The University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

    Jude A. Onwudili

Authors
  1. Jude A. Onwudili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jude A. Onwudili .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China

    Fangming Jin

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Onwudili, J.A. (2014). Hydrothermal Gasification of Biomass for Hydrogen Production. In: Jin, F. (eds) Application of Hydrothermal Reactions to Biomass Conversion. Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54458-3_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54458-3_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-54457-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-54458-3

  • eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation