Development microreactos for hydrogen and syngas production from glycerol pyrolysis by CO2 laser

Author(s)

Ana Paula Gimenez Peres

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Química
• Defense date: 2014-02-12

Examining board members

Rubens Maciel Filho; Edgardo Olivares Gómez; Mylene Cristina Alves Ferreira Rezende; Otavio Cavalett; Melina Savioli Lopes

• Advisor: Rubens Maciel Filho; André Luiz Jardini Munhoz; Betânia Hoss Lunelli

Abstract

Motivated to solve the problems caused by the use of non-renewable fuels, scientists around the world seek ways to develop renewable energy that can reduce these impacts in Earth's atmosphere. Among the alternative routes and new sustainable energy sources, biomass is becoming a potential with option to meet the growing demand for energy and fuel. As a renewable source of one example, biodiesel, one of the sources of clean energy and more promising alternative, whose world production is increasing annually. In this context, the generation of hydrogen and syngas from crude glycerol has been considered. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to design, fabricate and test a microreactor for hydrogen production from glycerol pyrolysis using CO2 laser as a source of energy. To achieve this objective, four main steps were developed. Firstly, studies of the fluid dynamic behavior of microreactor was conducted for choosing the most favorable geometry to flow distribution among microchannels. At this point it was possible to quantify the internal gas flow in the microchannels and to select the geometry with the lowest value in the relative standard deviation. However, in this thesis, the model of microreactor with internal microchannels presented will not be applied, because according to the main objective of the thesis - the production of hydrogen and synthesis gas from pyrolysis of the glycerol applying the CO2 laser - laser radiation should directly reach the surface of the sample (glycerol). In the second step, by rapid prototyping technology/3D printing was made the microreactor of the prototype and from the prototype that was manufactured the microreactor from conventional machining method. In the third step, the CO2 laser parameters such as power, sweep rate and incidence of time were evaluated through computer simulations. From the response variable - heat generation in the sample - we found that the power of the CO2 laser is the variable with the greatest influence on the generation of heat. In the final step, glycerol pyrolysis experiments were performed in the microreactor with CO2 laser. The results showed significant conversions for the production of hydrogen and synthesis gas. The power of the CO2 laser is the most important operational variable. A conversion in the range 54-66% was obtained when an output of 60 W was applied (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/00062-8 - Development Micro reactors for Productionof Hydrogen and Gas of Synthesis from Pyrolysis of Glycerin by Laser ofCO2
• Grantee: Ana Paula Gimenez Peres Fernandes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate