Abstract
Biogas is a promising renewable energy source; however, it needs to be upgraded to increase its low calorific value. In this study, oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) was selected to convert it to a higher fuel standard. Prior to establishing the scaled-up OCM process, the effect of organic/inorganic binders on catalytic activity was examined. The selection of the binders and composition of the catalyst pellet influenced the pore structure, fracture strength, and catalytic activity of the catalyst pellets. It was also observed that the O2 supply from the inorganic binder is a key factor in determining catalytic activity, based on which the composition of the catalyst pellets was optimized. The higher heating value increased from 39.9 (CH4, Wobbe index = 53.5 MJ/Nm3) to 41.0 MJ/Nm3 (OCM product mixture, Wobbe index = 54.2 MJ/Nm3), achieving the fuel standard prescribed in many countries (Wobbe index = 45.5–55.0 MJ/Nm3). The reaction parameters (temperature, gas hourly space velocity, size of the reaction system, and the CH4 /O2 ratio) were also optimized, followed by a sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, the catalyst was stable for a long-term (100 h) operation under the optimized conditions.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1301 |
Journal | Catalysts |
Volume | 11 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 Nov |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgments: This research was supported by the C1 Gas Refinery Program (2015M3D3A1A010 64900) and the Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Changes (2020M1A2A2079798) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Funding Information:
Funding: This research was funded by the C1 Gas Refinery Program (2015M3D3A1A01064900) and the Technology Development Program to Solve Climate Changes (2020M1A2A2079798) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Keywords
- Biogas conversion
- Heterogeneous catalysts
- High sulfurcompound resistance
- Tube-shaped catalyst pellets
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Environmental Science
- Catalysis
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry