{"id":{"repo_id":"cambridge","oai_identifier":"oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/237704"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cambridge/oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/237704","repository":{"repo_id":"cambridge","name":"Cambridge University","base_url":"https://api.repository.cam.ac.uk/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Syngas production from heavy liquid fuel reforming in inert porous media","abstract":"In the effort to introduce fuel cell technology in the field of decentralized and mobile power generators, a hydrocarbon reformer to syngas seems to be the way for the market uptake. In this thesis, a potential technology is developed and investigated, in order to convert commercial liquid fuel (diesel, kerosene and biodiesel) to syngas. The fundamental concept is to oxidise the fuel in a oxygen depleted environment, obtaining hydrogen and carbon monoxide as main products of the reaction. In order to extend the flammability limit of hydrocarbon/air mixtures, the rich combustion experiments have been carried out in a two-layer porous medium combustor, which stabilises a flame at the matrix interface and recirculates the enthalpy of the hot products in order to enhance the reaction rates at ultra-rich equivalence ratio. This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of the concept, by exploring characteristic parameters for a compact, reliable and cost effective device. Specifically, a range of equivalence ratios, thermal loads and porous materials have been examined. n-heptane was successfully reformed up to an equivalence ratio of 3, reaching a conversion efficiency (based on the lower heating value of H2 and CO over the fuel input) up to 75% for a packed bed of alumina beads. Thermal loads from P=2 to 12 kW at phi=2.0 demonstrated that heat losses can be reduced to 10%. Similarly, diesel, kerosene and bio-diesel were reformed to syngas in a Zirconia foam burner with conversion efficiency over 60%. The effect of different burners, thermal loads and equivalence ratios have also been assessed for these commercial fuels, leading to equivalent conclusions. A preliminary attempt to reduce the content of CO and hydrocarbons in the reformate has been also performed using commercial steam reforming and water-gas shift reaction catalysts, obtaining encouraging results. Finally, soot emission has been assessed, demonstrating particle formation for all the fuels above phi=2.0, with biodiesel showing the lowest soot formation tendency among all the fuels tested.","abstract_html":"In the effort to introduce fuel cell technology in the field of decentralized and mobile power generators, a hydrocarbon reformer to syngas seems to be the way for the market uptake. In this thesis, a potential technology is developed and investigated, in order to convert commercial liquid fuel (diesel, kerosene and biodiesel) to syngas. The fundamental concept is to oxidise the fuel in a oxygen depleted environment, obtaining hydrogen and carbon monoxide as main products of the reaction. In order to extend the flammability limit of hydrocarbon/air mixtures, the rich combustion experiments have been carried out in a two-layer porous medium combustor, which stabilises a flame at the matrix interface and recirculates the enthalpy of the hot products in order to enhance the reaction rates at ultra-rich equivalence ratio. This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of the concept, by exploring characteristic parameters for a compact, reliable and cost effective device. Specifically, a range of equivalence ratios, thermal loads and porous materials have been examined. n-heptane was successfully reformed up to an equivalence ratio of 3, reaching a conversion efficiency (based on the lower heating value of H2 and CO over the fuel input) up to 75% for a packed bed of alumina beads. Thermal loads from P=2 to 12 kW at phi=2.0 demonstrated that heat losses can be reduced to 10%. Similarly, diesel, kerosene and bio-diesel were reformed to syngas in a Zirconia foam burner with conversion efficiency over 60%. The effect of different burners, thermal loads and equivalence ratios have also been assessed for these commercial fuels, leading to equivalent conclusions. A preliminary attempt to reduce the content of CO and hydrocarbons in the reformate has been also performed using commercial steam reforming and water-gas shift reaction catalysts, obtaining encouraging results. Finally, soot emission has been assessed, demonstrating particle formation for all the fuels above phi=2.0, with biodiesel showing the lowest soot formation tendency among all the fuels tested.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Pastore, Andrea"],"institution":"University of Cambridge","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2010,"date_issued":"2010-11-16","date_published":"2010-11-16","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:24:13Z","subjects":["Syngas production","Rich combustion","Porous burner","Superadiabatic combustion","Fuel reforming"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":["https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/ad74adab-aa00-46c7-b7ab-b93c31546e70/download","https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.13997","outbound_label":"DOI","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.doi"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Pastore, Andrea"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2010-11-16"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cambridge"]},{"key":"dc:relation.isreferencedby.uri","label":"Dc Relation Isreferencedby URI","values":["http://www.dspace.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/237704","https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/237704"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Syngas production","Rich combustion","Porous burner","Superadiabatic combustion","Fuel reforming"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/ad74adab-aa00-46c7-b7ab-b93c31546e70/download","https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.doi","label":"DOI","values":["10.17863/CAM.13997"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/8d250bd1-4521-4079-a0d1-5621325fcd67/download"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In the effort to introduce fuel cell technology in the field of decentralized and mobile power generators, a hydrocarbon reformer to syngas seems to be the way for the market uptake. 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Specifically, a range of equivalence ratios, thermal loads and porous materials have been examined. n-heptane was successfully reformed up to an equivalence ratio of 3, reaching a conversion efficiency (based on the lower heating value of H2 and CO over the fuel input) up to 75% for a packed bed of alumina beads. Thermal loads from P=2 to 12 kW at phi=2.0 demonstrated that heat losses can be reduced to 10%. Similarly, diesel, kerosene and bio-diesel were reformed to syngas in a Zirconia foam burner with conversion efficiency over 60%. The effect of different burners, thermal loads and equivalence ratios have also been assessed for these commercial fuels, leading to equivalent conclusions. A preliminary attempt to reduce the content of CO and hydrocarbons in the reformate has been also performed using commercial steam reforming and water-gas shift reaction catalysts, obtaining encouraging results. 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The fundamental concept is to oxidise the fuel in a oxygen depleted environment, obtaining hydrogen and carbon monoxide as main products of the reaction. In order to extend the flammability limit of hydrocarbon/air mixtures, the rich combustion experiments have been carried out in a two-layer porous medium combustor, which stabilises a flame at the matrix interface and recirculates the enthalpy of the hot products in order to enhance the reaction rates at ultra-rich equivalence ratio. This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of the concept, by exploring characteristic parameters for a compact, reliable and cost effective device. Specifically, a range of equivalence ratios, thermal loads and porous materials have been examined. n-heptane was successfully reformed up to an equivalence ratio of 3, reaching a conversion efficiency (based on the lower heating value of H2 and CO over the fuel input) up to 75% for a packed bed of alumina beads. Thermal loads from P=2 to 12 kW at phi=2.0 demonstrated that heat losses can be reduced to 10%. Similarly, diesel, kerosene and bio-diesel were reformed to syngas in a Zirconia foam burner with conversion efficiency over 60%. The effect of different burners, thermal loads and equivalence ratios have also been assessed for these commercial fuels, leading to equivalent conclusions. A preliminary attempt to reduce the content of CO and hydrocarbons in the reformate has been also performed using commercial steam reforming and water-gas shift reaction catalysts, obtaining encouraging results. 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