Hydrogen-Rich Syngas Derived from Smouldering Biomass and Hydrocarbon Wastes

In the face of climate change, the world is looking to new fuel sources to meet the surging global energy demand. Hydrogen has been proposed as a promising energy vector being both a net-zero carbon emitter and having one of the highest gravimetric energy densities of known fuels. Production of hydrogen, however, is difficult with many of the technologies which exist today failing to be economically feasible or environmentally sustainable. Smouldering has recently been developed as a cost effective and energy efficient technology for destruction of organic wastes. The unique reaction zones created within a smouldering system have the potential to generate hydrogen if properly amended. For the first time, organic wastes were treated by an amended smouldering reaction to generate hydrogen in a carbon-neutral manner. Calcium Oxide (CaO) and steam were added to the smouldering system which completely treated woody biomass and coal tar while generating hydrogen. The maximum hydrogen concentration achieved in the smouldering system was 33.7% resulting in a net energy positive syngas. Evidence suggests that both heterogenous gasification and the water gas shift are the mechanisms of hydrogen formation. Results indicate that a smouldering reaction can be used simultaneously as both a waste management technology and a new method for producing hydrogen-rich syngas.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Eng Sci

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Brown, Joshua K

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Gerhard, Jason I.

• Hydrogen
• Remediation
• Waste Management
• Smouldering
• STAR
• Biomass
• Gasification

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/27203

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/27203