Hydrogen Production Using a Thermochemical Cycle and Biomass Heat

摘要

It is proposed to conduct research on the development of the S-I thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production using high-temperature heat produced by combustion of biomass, in particular wood wastes and residues from various forest operations such as pulp and paper mills and saw mills which are abundant in Canada. The development of a promising thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production is important in itself, and a combination of this technology with combustion of wood wastes and other biomass would offer even greater long term benefits to Canada and the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and better utilization of a renewable resource. Energy derived from biomass is regarded as "green" energy because biomass fuels are infinitely renewable, and bio-energy is neutral in terms of CO_2 emissions. The short-term objectives of the proposed project are to investigate the technical problems associated with scaling up the S-I cycle-based hydrogen production process, such as the improvement in thermal efficiency and the method of effectively coupling the S-I cycle to a biomass incinerator used as a source of high-temperature process heat. In the longer term, certain key aspects of a large scale thermochemical cycle-based system will be investigated with the goal of building a pilot plant in 5 ～ 10 years, and improving the operational reliability and economic viability of a commercial hydrogen production plant in 10 ～ 15 years.