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Hydrogen from renewable palm kernel shell via enhanced gasification with low carbon dioxide emission

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Abstract

Hydrogen economy has become more attractive with the energy crises and environmental issues associated with fossil fuel utilization more so with the discovery that hydrogen can be produced from renewable biomass. This provides good prospects to Malaysia that generates abundant palm wastes. Nevertheless, there is still limited knowledge on kinetics parameters for hydrogen production from palm kernel shell (PKS) gasification. Hence, this work aims to develop a mathematical model that is able to describe the kinetics of steam gasification of PKS with in situ CO2 capture while considering tar formation. A mean-squared error minimization approach has been used to estimate the kinetics parameters of the gasification process. Using the calculated kinetics parameters the process efficiencies are profiled with respect to the effect of gasification temperature, steam/biomass ratio and sorbent/biomass ratio. The parametric study indicates that the three variables promote hydrogen production at different degree of influence. This developed model can be further extended to incorporate optimization study on the potential clean production of hydrogen from PKS.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and Petroleum Research Fund for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 31750, Tronoh, Malaysia

    Tigabwa Yosef Ahmed, Murni Melati Ahmad & Suzana Yusup

  2. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Malaysia

    Hon Loong Lam

Authors
  1. Tigabwa Yosef Ahmed
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  2. Murni Melati Ahmad
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  3. Hon Loong Lam
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  4. Suzana Yusup
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Murni Melati Ahmad.

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Murni Melati Ahmad is formerly affiliated to Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

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Ahmed, T.Y., Ahmad, M.M., Lam, H.L. et al. Hydrogen from renewable palm kernel shell via enhanced gasification with low carbon dioxide emission. Clean Techn Environ Policy 15, 513–523 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-013-0606-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-013-0606-6

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