Natural gas-based Chemical Looping for Hydrogen Production - presentation by Letitia Petrescu of Babes-Bolyai University at the UKCCSRC Natural Gas CCS Network Meeting at GHGT-12, Austin, Texas, October 2014

1. Natural gas-based Chemical Looping for Hydrogen Production
Letitia Petrescu
Christoph Müller
Calin-Cristian Cormos Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Cluj -Napoca, Romania Laboratory of Energy Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

2. Advanced thermo-chemical looping cycles for the poly-generation of decarbonised energy vectors: Material synthesis and characterisation, process modelling and life cycle analysis
Romanian-Swiss Research Programme
01 January 2013 - 31 December 2015
The first objective of this project is the development of novel, multi- functional materials for chemical looping The second objective of the project is a critical technical, economical and environmental assessments of the calcium and iron-based chemical looping cycles

3. CCS-CLC
Fuel Reactor (30 bar, 700-750˚C):
4Fe2O3 +3CH4 → 8Fe+3CO2 + 6H2O
Steam Reactor (28 bar, 700-800˚C): 3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2
Air Reactor (26 bar, 850-1000˚C):
4Fe3O4 + O2 → 6Fe2O3

4. Steam reforming of natural gas
Chemical Looping
Steam reforming of natural gas combined with Chemical Looping
Hydrogen production from NG
Legend:
Case 1: Hydrogen production from natural gas using SR technology
Case 2: Hydrogen production based on CL natural gas conversion
Case 3: Hydrogen production based on SR combined with CL

5. Methodology for technical and environmental assesment
Technical Assessment
Process Simulation
Environmental
Assessment
ChemCAD
ASPEN PLUS
GaBi
KPI

6. Technical key performance
indicators

7. 
Evaluated plant concepts generate 300 MWth of H2.

The carbon capture rate is almost total (99.25%) in Case 2, while for Case 3 it reaches only 68.5%.

The specific CO2 emissions of the evaluated plant concepts with CCS (Case 2 and Case 3) are in the range of 2 - 213 kg/MWh; the case without CCS (Case 1) has specific CO2 emissions of about 268 kg/MWh.

The capability of capturing almost total carbon of the feedstock and lower plant complexity streamlines once more the attractiveness of the direct chemical looping option (Case 2).
Conclusions on the technical assessment
Legend: Case 1: Hydrogen production from natural gas using SR technology Case 2: Hydrogen production based on CL natural gas conversion Case 3: Hydrogen production based on SR combined with CL

8. LCA

9. LCA
Legend: Case 1: Hydrogen production from natural gas using SR technology Case 2: Hydrogen production based on CL natural gas conversion Case 3: Hydrogen production based on SR combined with CL

10. 
A “cradle-to-grave” approach was assumed for the three cases under study.

The LCA assessment was carried out using GaBi 6 software.

Ten environmental impact categories, according to CML 2001 impact assessment method, were defined, calculated and compared.

The best value for GWP is obtained in Case 2, 240.04 kg CO2-Equiv./MW. Other environemntal impcat cathegories such as: ADP, AP, HT increase when CCS – CL tehcnology is applied.
Conclusions on the environmental assessment

11. letitiapetrescu@chem.ubbcluj.ro
muelchri@ethz.ch
cormos@chem.ubbcluj.ro