Low impact emissions H2 production via biogas steam reforming in a foam structured membrane reactor: Energy efficiency and exergy analyses, and H2 production cost assessment

This work focuses on the utilization of a novel Ru-Ni foam structured catalysts housed in a Pd-Ag membrane reactor to generate decarbonized H2 by steam reforming of synthetic biogas, analysing from energy/exergy point of views the whole MR based plant, including also the ancillary devices (condenser, boiler, pump etc.). The influence of the wall temperature in the reforming process has been studied to determine the temperature profile along the foam structured membrane reactor. In addition, the overall process efficiency as well as an economic study to determine the cost of the decarbonised hydrogen production have been analysed with the further objective of contributing to meet the European Green Deal policies in the framework of renewable energy carriers production respecting the net zero gas emissions by 2050. The experimental campaign has been realized between 673 and 773 K and varying the pressure between 100 and 200 kPa, reaching 74 % CH4 conversion, 95 % hydrogen recovery and 55 % yield at 773 K and 200 kPa, S/C = 2/1 and WHSV = 0.6 h−1, and a total exergy efficiency of 85 %. The purity of the hydrogen stream recovered in the foam structured membrane reactor was superior to 99.999 % in the whole range of operating conditions analyzed in this work, meeting the expected values of the European Clean Hydrogen Agency (Targets-2030: hydrogen recovery = 95 %, hydrogen purity = 99.99 %)