Hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide production through chemical looping using iron-based oxygen carrier – A Green plant for H2 and N2 production

•Effects of controllable parameters on each reactor output are investigated.•Optimal condition is founded to produce maximum hydrogen and consume all input fuel.•Proposed plant configuration is self sustaining in terms of power and steam.•N2 as the third pure product is producible in three reactors of chemical looping (TRCL).•The 80.2% energy conversion of CH4 to H2 is achievable through TRCL.

In order to simulate the performance of pure methane in chemical looping using iron-based oxygen carrier, simultaneously production of three pure streams of hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide has been investigated. For this purpose, proper operating conditions have been discussed for maximum production of hydrogen, complete consumption of oxygen of inlet air and complete combustion of methane. Professional software is used to simulate the chemical looping reactors and optimize their output streams. Results show that in this process each mole of methane fuel can produce 2.533, 2.65 and 0.99 mol of pure N2, H2 and CO2, respectively which contributes 80.2% energy conversion of CH4 to H2. Moreover, in order to consume the whole input fuel and maximize hydrogen production, it is necessary to use a supportive material to improve mechanical property of oxygen carrier particles and optimize temperature of streams by thermal integration of three reactors. Also, due to controllable temperature of three reactors, more flow rate of oxygen carrier particles can be used instead of supportive material while the air flow rate should be justified to produce pure nitrogen. Hence, three chemical looping reactors, beside hydrogen and CO2 production, can directly produce nitrogen, by means of a process simpler than the conventional technologies like air separation unit.

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