Hydrogen-rich gas production through steam reforming of biogas

Interest in energy systems based on hydrogen is growing rapidly. The main reason for this renewed interest is that a future hydrogen fuel based society may offer one of the solutions to the tow major challenges facing the global economy in the future: coping with climate change and ensuring security of energy supply. Both these challenges require the development of new, highly efficient energy technologies that are either carbon-neutral or that emit only small amounts of carbon dioxide. Biogas, as an attractive renewable energy source, has been - up to now - mainly used for small to medium scale combined heat and power production. Today, biogar has also received increased attention for upgrading to high quality fuels as an important intermediate in the industrial synthesis of a wide range of chemicals. Steam reforming of biogas allows the production of renewable synthesis gas (hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide mixture). Further steps can either be production of pure H2 as a future energy carrier or, on the other hand, combustion in gas engines to obtain higher engine efficiencies and lower NOx emissions. The latter is the short term objective of the present investigative work.