SE-SR with sorbents based on calcium aluminates: Process optimization

The development of a sustainable power generation using fossil fuels will be strongly encouraged in the future in order to achieve European targets in terms of CO2 emissions. In this context, sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SE-SR) is a promising process that can be implemented as a CCS pre-combustion methodology. Regarding conventional catalyst-CO2 sorbent materials, main challenges concern the development of innovative CO2 sorbents with higher stability and regeneration temperature lower than CaO one. In recent study, a high-performance material based on incorporation of CaO particles into calcium aluminates was developed by authors exhibiting high sorption capacity and stability in multi cycle process. In this study, such a sorbent was packed, together with the catalyst, in a fixed bed reactor and tested in multi-cycle SE-SR process optimizing the operating conditions. Sensitivity analysis was carried out in reference to feeding flow rate, steam to carbon molar ratio and material particle size. The innovative sorbent exhibits, in optimized process, significant performance improvements (in terms of H2 purity and total CO2 amount adsorbed in each carbonation cycle) respect similar approaches available in the technical literature.