Steam reforming of shale gas with nickel and calcium looping

High purity H2 production from shale gas using sorption enhanced chemical looping steam reforming (SE-CLSR) was investigated at 1 bar, GHSV 0.498 h−1, feed molar steam to carbon ratio of 3 and 650 °C for 20 reduction-oxidation-calcination cycles using CaO and 18 wt% NiO on Al2O3 as sorbent and catalyst/oxygen carrier (OC) respectively. The shale gas feedstock was able to cyclically reduce the oxygen carrier and subsequently reform with high H2 yield and purity. For example H2 yield of 31 wt% of fuel feed and purity of 92% were obtained in the 4th cycle during the pre-breakthrough period (prior to cycles with low sorbent capacity). This was equivalent to 80 and 43% enhancement compared to the conventional steam reforming process respectively.