Hydrogen-rich syngas production from biomass in a steam microwave-induced plasma gasification reactor

Vecten, S. and Wilkinson, M. and Bimbo, N. and Dawson, R. and Herbert, B.M.J. (2021) Hydrogen-rich syngas production from biomass in a steam microwave-induced plasma gasification reactor. Bioresource Technology, 337. ISSN 0960-8524

Abstract

Substitution of fossil fuels by sustainable practices must be rapidly implemented to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The conversion of biomass into combustible gas is investigated in a microwave-induced plasma reactor using pure steam as the plasma working gas for the first time. The optimum results are achieved at the highest forward microwave power of 6 kW with biomass carbon conversion efficiency over 98% and complete biomass energy recovery in syngas. Unreacted steam is simply condensed out, leading to the production of a syngas with low inert dilution and high calorific value in the range 10.5–12 MJ/Nm3. The syngas produced is rich in hydrogen, exceeding 60% by volume. The proposed process could aid in the transition to a carbon neutral economy as it has the potential to efficiently convert biomass to syngas that can be used for the sustainable generation of fuels, chemicals and energy.