Syngas Fuel Production

**51**

**Chapter 4**

**Abstract**

ratios from 0.2 to 10.

**1. Introduction**

hybrid filtration combustion

with a carbon-neutral alternative.

Syngas Fuel Production from

Hybrid Porous Media

*Mario Toledo Torres and Nicolás Ripoll Kameid*

Carbonaceous Feedstocks Using

During the last years, hybrid porous media reactors have been developed aiming to partially oxidize solid and gaseous fuels to produce reducing gases. The gases produced are mainly composed of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide, among other products of gasification. This hybrid process combines inert porous media (IPM) combustion and gasification of solid fuels by replacing a fraction of the inert solid volume with a solid fuel. The gaseous mixture is produced from carbon-rich reactants exposed to the high temperatures of filtration combustion. Experimental results from different solid fuels (coal, biomass, and others) and gaseous fuels (natural gas (NG), propane, and others) are presented, with detailed analysis of high temperatures (between 900 and 1800 K), velocities, and product gas composition of the combustion waves, which is able to produce [H2]/[CO]

**Keywords:** hydrogen production, solid and gaseous fuels, porous media,

Hydrogen (H2) and syngas production technology development has been concentrating most of current efforts toward more efficient and responsible use of fossil carbonaceous feedstocks [1, 2]. Moreover, these technologies can utilize energy more efficiently, supply ultraclean fuels, eliminate pollutant emissions at end-use systems, and significantly reduce greenhouse gases emissions, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) [2]. H2 and syngas are currently mostly produced by steam reforming, partial oxidation, and autothermic reforming which is also known as oxidative steam reforming [2]. For example, H2 is mainly produced by steam methane reforming (SMR), a process that inherently releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases. The primary energy sources to produce hydrogen are hydrocarbon feedstocks (methane, oil, and coal) with 96% of the supply, while the rest (4%) is attained through water electrolysis [3]. However, in past years, it has been challenging to properly forecast the availability of hydrocarbon feedstocks, which in turn adds to its uncertainty as a main feedstock in the H2 production chain. Therefore, the development of novel techniques aimed to diversify H2 and syngas production presents itself as highly necessary, where the gasification of biomass, for example, poses as a promising effort to significantly compete against fossil feedstocks [4, 5],
