Context
Biogas, a mix of gases composed mainly of methane (up to 60%), carbon dioxide and, in small percentages, nitrogen, is the natural product of the decomposition of organic material and can be recovered and used to produce energy.
Project objectives
Design and develop a new prototype reactor for a biogas plant that produces hydrogen, purifying it from the remaining gases.
Currently on the market there are already reactors that are able to produce hydrogen from biogas through various steps, but there are no systems that simultaneously produce it and separate it in a dedicated tank.
The combination of hydrogen production and separation using the BIONICO process allows for an overall efficiency of 72%. An increase of twenty percentage points compared to the values normally found of 52% for a traditional process.
Thanks to the BIONIC process and the consequent reduced use of complementary accessories, the costs associated with the construction of the system are also reduced.
Project Phases
- Development of a novel and highly active reforming catalyst for hydrogen production from biogas with different compositions.
- Development of tubular membranes for biogas and hydrogen selective
- Production of a first prototype reactor for laboratory testing
- Production of a second prototype for installation in the site dedicated to biogas production
- Installation and integration of the reactor in the production site and start of the testing phase.
Role of Ici Caldaie
Thanks to our ten-year experience in the production of hydrogen systems, we participated in the project and were involved in the design and prototyping of the membrane reactors and their integration, engineering and control of the system, and all aspects related to safety.