Hydrogen production from biomass: steam-reforming of vegetable oils and pyrolisis oils

It has been evaluated the production of hydrogen from two sources of renewa ble energy: quick pyrolisis oil of vegetable biomass (bio-oil) and oils of vegetable source (girasol oil). The studied process of hydrogen production is based on the industrial technology available for the production of hydro gen from natural gas and naphtha through the catalytic process of steam ref orming. It has been developed and experimental study with a fixed bed catal ytic reactor and commercial nickel catalysts for hydrocarbons steam reformi ng. Operation conditions have been similar to the ones used in the naphtha steam reforming, with mole ratios water and carbon (V/C) of 3, 6 and 9, cat alyst temperatures of 600 to 850 degreesC and pressures near the atmospheri c pressure. The results show it is possible to obtain hydrogen from the men tioned substrates, and the hydrogen yields agree with the system equilibriu m at the exit conditions of the reactor. In this particular case, the hydro gen yields were between the 72 and the 87% of the stoichiometric value, dep ending on the relation V/C and the reaction temperature.