A fundamental study of model fuel conversion reactions in sub and supercritical water

Model reactants under hydrothermal conditions were examined to improve our understanding of chemical transformations in this high temperature and pressure environment. Results have a direct impact on present and future hydrothermal fuel conversion research for a range of fossil-based and bio-mass based feed stocks. Methane was chosen as a model compound and two different approaches were taken to examine its conversion in supercritical water. Catalytic reformation of methane was studied experimentally while partial oxidation of methane was studied through the application of a previously developed detailed chemical kinetic model that was analyzed and refined specifically for this study. Glucose and glycine were also chosen as model compounds to study related conversion pathways experimentally under hydrothermal conditions for biomass-based feed stocks. An experimental study of the catalytic reformation of methane in supercritical water (SCW) was completed that explored the use of carefully chosen catalysts under a variety of conditions and measured the conversion of methane and yields of various products.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2005

Author dc:creator

• Lachance, Russell Philip

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jefferson W. Tester.

• Chemical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/33701

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/33701