Hydrogen production by enhanced-sorption chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol in moving-bed reactors

The continuous high-purity hydrogen production by the enhanced-sorption chemical looping steam reforming of glycerol based on redox reactions integrated with in situ CO2 removal has been experimentally studied. The process was carried out by a flow of catalyst and sorbent mixture using two moving-bed reactors. Various unit operations including oxidation, steam reforming, water gas shrift reaction and CO2 removal were combined into a single reactor for hydrogen production in an overall economic and efficient process. The low-cost NiO/NiAl2O4 catalyst efficiently converted glycerol and steam to H2 by redox reactions and the CO2 produced in the process was simultaneously removed by CaO sorbent. The best results with an enriched hydrogen product of above 90% in auto-thermal operation for reforming reactor were achieved at initial temperatures of 500–600 °C and ratios of steam to carbon (S/C) of 1.5–3.0. The results indicated also that not all of NiO in the catalyst can be reduced to Ni by the reaction with glycerol, and the reduced Ni can be oxidized to NiO by air at 900 °C. The catalyst oxidization and sorbent regeneration were achieved under the same conditions in air reactor.