Schematic layout of the ‘‘Y’’ type reactor.

Researchers at the State Key Laboratory for Oxo Synthesis and Selective Oxidation of the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP) of the CAS have developed a ‘‘Y’’ type reactor (see the picture) and applied it in bio-oil steam reforming, partial oxidation, or oxidative steam reforming coupled with CO2 reforming of bio-oil to eliminate the emission of CO2 in reforming reactions.

These reaction systems can efficiently suppress the emission of CO2 from various reforming processes, which can serve as a method for storage of the carbon from fossil fuels or air. The coupled reaction system can also be applied in the industrial-scale methane steam reformers. The CO2 produced from methane steam reforming can be reduced with bio-oil to syngas, resulting in a net decrease of greenhouse gas in atmosphere. Furthermore, other coupled reaction systems such as methane partial oxidation or oxidative reforming coupled with CO2 reforming of bio-oil also can be developed by employing the “Y’’ type reactor to eliminate greenhouse gas emission.

The work has received support from the National Program on Key Basic Research Project of China and Solar Energy Project of the CAS.

The findings have been published in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy (International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 35 (2010) 7169 – 7176).

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Paper