Catalytic combustion of gasified biomass in a platinum monolith honeycomb reactor Original Research Article

The characteristics of catalytic ignition and reaction of single and multiple fuels including simulated gasified biomass are investigated both experimentally and numerically. A two-dimensional channel flow code with the multi-step gas phase and surface reaction mechanisms is used to clarify the detailed interaction mechanism of the main gasified biomass species on the surface. The light-off characteristics for single and multiple fuels with varying concentrations and global residence times are identified. For gasified biomass, the preheat temperature needed for light-off is found to be determined by carbon monoxide, which has the largest adsorption probability on platinum surface. The observed two-step rising of the reactor outlet temperature also provides evidence for the promotion of methane light-off by hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The operational domain for catalytic combustion of gasified biomass in a platinum monolith honeycomb reactor is bounded by curves of carbon monoxide concentration for ignition, residence time and methane concentration for conversion ratio, and the sinter temperature of the catalyst.