Thermodynamic analysis of the ethanol chemical looping autothermal reforming with CO2 capture

•Combination of SRE, CLPOX and CO2 Capture for H2 production.•The use of NiO or CuO as oxygen carriers and CaO for ethanol reforming.•Thermodynamic analysis to explore autothermal (AT) reaction conditions.•AT conditions for CuO were: H2O/C2H5OH = 4, CuO/C2H5OH = 0.5 and Tadiab = 529 °C.

The present thermodynamic analysis is aimed to explore autothermal conditions at equilibrium for a high H2-Syngas production under the combined ethanol steam reforming (SRE), chemical looping partial oxidation (CLPOX) and CO2 solid absorption reaction system. SRE studied conditions were H2O/C2H5OH = 3–6 M ratio, CLPOX employed NiO or CuO as oxygen carriers from MeO/C2H5OH = 0.05–1.5 M ratio, while 2 kmols of CaO were used for CO2 capture in a T range of 100–900 °C at 1 atm. NiO most favorable adiabatic conditions (T ≥ 500 °C and C ≤ 0.1 kmols) were: H2O/C2H5OH = 3 and NiO/C2H5OH = 0.05–0.5. While, for CuO was at H2O/C2H5OH = 4, CuO/C2H5OH = 0.5 and Tadiab = 529 °C. These favorable reaction conditions are the product of the combination of the exothermic carbonation reaction and its influence over the thermodynamic equilibrium over the POX and SRE endothermic reactions.