Hydrogen rich gas production through the gasification of sunflower seed pulp and aspen simulation

In this work, sunflower meal, a waste product of sunflower oil factories, was gasified in order to produce hydrogen-rich gaseous products. For the gasification process, a batch direct gasifier and a continuous steam reformer was used. With the direct gasifier, effect of temperature (650, 750 and 850 °C), air feed rate (1, 2, 3 and 4 L/h) and catalyst (K2CO3) ratio (0, 20, 40 wt%) on the gaseous product yield was investigated. The most suitable hydrogen yield was observed to be 5.55 mol H2/kg biomass. For the two step gasification process, biomass was first liquefied. At these experiments, effect of temperature (200, 300 and 350 °C), reaction time (15, 30 and 60 min), water:biomass ratio (wt. 10:1, 20:1 and 50:1) and catalyst (NaOH) ratio (0, 10, 20 and 30 wt%) on liquid and gas yields were investigated. Highest hydrogen yield was 5.45 mol H2/kg biomass. Steam reforming was performed on the liquid product that was produced on this condition. 30% Ni/Al2O3 catalyst was used in catalytic steam reforming experiments. Effect of temperature (600, 700, 800 °C) and water:liquid product ratio (3:3, 8:3, 16:3 and 24:3 by volume) on gas yields were investigated, and the acquired data was compared to the results of Aspen simulation. Highest hydrogen yield was found to be 37,49 mol H2/kg liquid product and when the hydrogen that was produced during liquefaction is added to it a total hydrogen yield of 43,03 mol H2/kg biomass was achieved. Effect of the tested parameters on gas yields are similar to what the aspen simulation calculated.