Solar Reforming
R&D Focus Areas:
Fossil fuel conversion, Biomass and waste conversion, Techno-economic evaluation
Lead Organisation:
CSIRO
Partners:
Not applicable
Status:
Paused
Start date:
July 1994
Completion date:
June 2020
Key contacts:
Project Leader Andrew Beath – andrew.beath@csiro.au
Funding:
Includes Pacific Power, New South Wales Government, ASI, ARENA
Project total cost:
Cumulatively well in excess of AUD$10 million
Project summary description:
This description provides a brief summary/snapshot of solar reforming research within CSIRO since original project funding in the mid-1990s.
Solar reforming research was commenced by CSIRO in the early 1990s and has undergone a series of experimental demonstrations up to 600kWth scale on parabolic dish and central receiver concentrated solar thermal equipment (currently based at CSIRO’s Newcastle site). Supporting experimental studies have included development of catalysts specifically to match the conditions, including modifications to allow operation under higher carbon loads and at lower temperatures, and integration with thermal storage and reactor equipment from other projects.
Initially, conditions replicated conventional natural gas reforming with steam, approximately 3:1 steam to carbon ratios, temperatures of 800-850°C and pressures up to 10 bar. Stable operations for up to 6 hours were achieved in direct ‘on sun’ operations of the solar reformers. During this operation it is possible to enhance the heating value of the natural gas feed by approximately 25%, so the approach was seen as a valid transitional technology for reduction of emissions in technologies using natural gas as a fuel. Additional experimental work included using carbon dioxide as a feed, reducing the steam usage and improving the thermodynamic performance to approximately 28% energy gain.
Limitations of the direct solar approach were apparent in restricting the daily operating hours, so additional experimental tests were undertaken using stored solar heat (solid alumina balls using pressurised carbon dioxide as a heat transfer fluid). This used an innovative membrane reformer with a catalyst having both water gas shift and reforming capability to produce pure hydrogen at a temperature of only 550°C. While success in operation was demonstrated, this approach utilised several novel components that were difficult to integrate reliably into a functional system.
More recent development studies have been based on a particle solar collection, storage and heat transfer technology being pioneered by CSIRO. The particles can be heated by direct solar irradiation to temperature up to 900°C and stored for off-sun use, then gravity-fed into heat exchanger for a range of duties. The heat exchanger can be a reformer of very similar design to conventional plant and the use of particles as a heat transfer media can both provide a readily controlled heat source during operations and also keep the reformer hot during breaks in operation, reducing thermal cycling to improve plant life. This is seen as a much more industrially robust technology with reduced novelty that should encourage commercial uptake compared to more complex novel approaches tried earlier.
A detailed design and modelling activity has occurred for this technology, but demonstration has been delayed while the particle technology is being experimentally demonstrated at 700kWth scale on a central receiver solar tower. Studies on potential applications have included preparation of a fuel gas for use in alumina calciners, reducing emissions in hydrogen production for an ammonia plant, integration with carbon capture to produce blue hydrogen at commercial scale and integration with biogas production to produce an entirely renewable methanol product.
In standard operation without carbon capture or renewable methane input at a good solar site, the system should be able to deliver an 80% capacity factor, resulting in a 20% reduction in emissions on a 24 hour operational basis compared to conventional steam reforming. Note that this apparently poor emissions reduction is because most of the natural gas feed to a reformer is being used as a chemical feed and solar input is only affecting the portion used for heating. The varying locations, scales, available feedstocks and emission performance result in complex techno-economic analyses for the technology, but it appears that under some sets of parameters the technology will be financially attractive in comparison with the use of natural gas or other renewable technologies.
Related publications and key links:
Beath, Andrew; Aghaeimeybodi, Mehdi; Drewer, Geoff. Techno-economic Assessment of Application of Particle-Based Concentrated Solar Thermal Systems in Australian Industry. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 2022; 14(033702):17.
Beath, Andrew; Sun, Yanping; Aghaeimeybodi, Mehdi. Integration of concentrated solar thermal energy with biogas production and use. In: Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference; 16 to end of 17 Dec 2021; Sydney, Australia. Australian Photovoltaic Institute; 2021.
Milani, Dia; Kiani, Ali; McNaughton, Robbie. Renewable-powered hydrogen economy from Australia’s perspective. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2020; 45(46):24125-24145.
Dolan, Michael; Beath, Andrew; Hla, San; Way, J. Douglas; Abu el Hawa, Hani. An experimental and techno-economic assessment of solar reforming for H2 production. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2016; 41(33):14583–14595.
Sun, Yanping; Collins, Mike; French, David; McEvoy, Steve; Hart, Glenn; Stein, Wes. Investigation into the mechanism of NiMg(Ca)bAlcOx catalytic activity for production of solarised syngas from carbon dioxide reforming of methane. Fuel. 2013; 105:551-558.
McNaughton, Robbie; Ghobeity, Amin; Gale, S.; Bridgeman, A.; Harris, L.; Tian, F. J. Cost and performance modelling of the integration of solar thermal energy into an existing Australian coal fired power generator. In: 8th Asia Pacific Conference on Sustainable Energy & Environmental Technologies (APSCEET 2011); 10-13 July 2011; Adelaide, Australia. Centre for Energy Technology, the University of Adelaide; 2011. p. 165, A-296.
Stein, W.H.; Benito, R.G.; Sun, Y.; Edwards, J.H.; Duffy, G.J.; Ritchie, T.R. Solargas™ and solar hydrogen – solarising the future. In: CSIRO Energy Technology, Newcastle, editor/s. 17th World Hydrogen Energy Conference; 15-19 June, 2008; Brisbane, Qld.: Australian Institute of Energy and the International Association for Hydrogen Energy; 2008.
Stein, W.H.; Benito, R.G.; Chensee, M.D. Transport and use of solar energy in hydrogen. Advances in applied ceramics. 2007; 106:2-5.
Edwards, J.H.; Do, K.T.; Maitra, A.M.; Schuck, S.; Fok, W.; Stein, W.H. The use of solar-based CO2/CH4 reforming for reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the generation of electricity and process heat. Energy conversion and management. 1996; 37:1339-1344.
Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable
June 2022