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Tri-reforming of Natural Gas Using CO2 in Flue Gas of Power Plants without CO2 Pre-separation for Production of Synthesis Gas with Desired H2/CO Ratios

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Environmental Challenges and Greenhouse Gas Control for Fossil Fuel Utilization in the 21st Century

Abstract

Most existing CO2 conversion processes use pure CO2 that comes from CO2 recovery, separation and subsequent purification, which are all energy- consuming steps that add up the cost and can lead to additional CO2 emission. A novel process concept, tri-reforming, is proposed for effective conversion and utilization of CO2 in the flue gases from fossil fuel-based power plants in the 21st century. The CO2, H2O, and O2 in the waste flue gas need not be pre-separated because they will be used as co-reactants for tri-reforming of natural gas. The tri-reforming is a synergetic combination of CO2 reforming, steam reforming, and partial oxidation of natural gas. The simultaneous oxy-CO2-steam reforming reactions in the tri-reforming process can produce synthesis gas (CO+H2) with H2/CO ratios (1.5–2.0) and can also eliminate carbon formation which is a serious problem in the CO2 reforming of methane. These two advantages have been demonstrated by a preliminary laboratory experimental study of tri-reforming in comparison to CO2 reforming at 850°C. A comparative analysis by calculation indicated that tri-reforming is more desired for producing syngas with H2/CO ratios of 2.0 compared to CO2 reforming and steam reforming of methane. The tri-reforming process could be applied, in principle, to the natural gas-based power plants and coal-based power plants. The syngas with desired H2/CO ratios can be used for synthesis of chemicals (alcohol, ether, olefins, etc.), ultra-clean fuels (hydrocarbon fuels and oxygenated fuels), and could also be used for generating electricity.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clean Fuels and Catalysis Program, The Energy Institute, and Department of Energy & Geo-Environmental Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 209 Academic Projects Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Chunshan Song, Wei Pan & Srinivas T. Srimat

  2. State Key Laboratory for C1 Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Wei Pan

Authors
  1. Chunshan Song
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  2. Wei Pan
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  3. Srinivas T. Srimat
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Energy and Geo-Environmental Engineering and The Energy Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    M. Mercedes Maroto-Valer  & Chunshan Song  & 

  2. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, 15236, USA

    Yee Soong

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Song, C., Pan, W., Srimat, S.T. (2002). Tri-reforming of Natural Gas Using CO2 in Flue Gas of Power Plants without CO2 Pre-separation for Production of Synthesis Gas with Desired H2/CO Ratios. In: Maroto-Valer, M.M., Song, C., Soong, Y. (eds) Environmental Challenges and Greenhouse Gas Control for Fossil Fuel Utilization in the 21st Century. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0773-4_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0773-4_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5232-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-0773-4

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