Supercritical water reforming of model compounds of bio-oil aqueous phase: Acetic acid, acetol, butanol and glucose

• Supercritical water reforming of acetic acid, acetol, 1-butanol and glucose was studied.
• Acetic acid, acetol, 1-butanol and glucose are four model compounds of the bio-oil aqueous phase.
• Experimental investigation was performed in a tubular reactor without using a catalyst.
• A systematic thermodynamic analysis was also carried out by Aspen and Matlab.
• Experimental results match well simulation values if an equilibrium approach temperature is used.

An experimental study of the supercritical water reforming of model compounds (acetic acid, acetol, 1-butanol and glucose) of the aqueous phase of bio-oil was performed in a tubular reactor without using a catalyst, aimed at maximizing hydrogen yield. In addition, a systematic thermodynamic analysis was carried out using two thermodynamic approaches by simulation in AspenPlus™ (non-stoichiometric approach) and modelling in Matlab™ (stoichiometric approach), selecting first the thermodynamic method that describes the supercritical state more suitably. The effect of the main operating parameters (temperature, organic feed concentration and residence time) on the process performance was investigated thermodynamically and experimentally for each feedstock. Experimental and theoretical results were compared with each other, arising that experimental gas yields were far from equilibrium. However, a better agreement was achieved using an equilibrium approach temperature ranged from 125 to 225 °C.