Patent EA-002382-B1 (EA)
Title: Process for the production of hydrogen and electrical energy from reforming of bio-ethanol with zero emission of pollutants
Inventor: VERIKIOS XENOPHON
IPC: H01M8/06
Filed: 1999-05-19
Abstract: 1. A process for the production of hydrogen and electrical energy, with zero emission of pollutants, from ethanol which is produced from biomass, the process comprises the following steps: a). producing an aqueous solution of ethanol, the ethanol concentration being approx. 8 to 12%, originating from fermentation of biomass; b). separating water from the aqueous solution of ethanol so as to contain approx. 40-70% by weight of ethanol; c). mixing a partial amount of aqueous solution of ethanol produced at step b) with air or oxygen to prepare such a mixture so as the ratio of moles oxygen per mole ethanol to be between zero and 0,5; d). separate feed of the aqueous solution of ethanol produced at step b) and the mixture comprising the aqueous solution of ethanol and air or oxygen according to step c) in a thermally isolated reactor, said reactor comprises a thermally-isolated housing and ceramic or metal tubes, in the internal or external walls of which catalysts are deposited which catalyze the reaction of ethanol reforming to produce gaseous mixture comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen and ethanol oxidation with heat emission and water production, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, wherein said catalysts can be the same or different; e). carrying out reactions of reforming and partial oxidation respectively the aqueous solution of ethanol and a mixture comprising the aqueous solution of ethanol and air or oxygen in a thermally-isolated reactor in adiabatic regime and separately, wherein heat needed for carrying out the reforming reaction of the aqueous solution of ethanol is produced by a partial oxidation of the mixture comprising the aqueous solution of ethanol and air or oxygen, and transfer to the reforming reaction to the reaction of partial oxidation through tube walls inside the thermally-isolated reactor for producing gaseous mixture comprising carbon dioxide and hydrogen, and for controlling the temperature distribution along the length of the thermally-isolated reactor; f). after reforming the aqueous solution of ethanol carried out at step e) performing either a reaction of steam vapor for producing for converting carbon monoxide forming at reforming in gaseous mixture together with steam vapor to hydrogen and carbon dioxide, or by burning carbon monoxide, or by converting carbon monoxide to methane; g). separating hydrogen from gaseous mixture in the thermally-isolated reactor and feeding hydrogen to a fuel cell to produce electrical energy. 2. The process of claim 1 wherein in step g) hydrogen is fed as fuel to a fuel cell to produce electrical energy. 3. The process of claim 2 wherein the fuel cell in step g) is the cell of the phosphoric acid type, proton exchange membrane or solid polymer type. 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the catalyst in step d) is a metal of the Group VIII of the Periodic Table or metal oxide of a transition metals of the Periodic Table, either supported on suitable carrier or not. 5. The process of claim 1 wherein the aqueous solution of ethanol in step b) contains approx. 50-60% by weight of ethanol;