PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN AND ELECTRICITY GENERATION BY BIO-ETHANOL REFORMING WITH THE USE OF FUEL CELLS AND WITHOUT EMISSION OF POLLUTANTS

摘要

A process for hydrogen production and electricity generation with no emission of pollutants, from ethanol produced from biomass characterised by the partial oxidation / reforming of ethanol with water for the production of hydrogen which in the sequel is supplied to a fuel cell for electricity generation, especially where aqueous ethanol solution deriving from the fermentation of biomass is separated by distillation or any other technique so it has a concentration of ethanol of about 40-70 % w/w - and preferably 50-60 % and where this mixture mixed with the suitable quantity of air so that the ratio of mols of oxygen to ethanol ranges between 0 and 0.5 is supplied to a reactor where the partial oxidation and reforming reactions take place in a suitable catalyst, where in the same or in another reactor the displacement reaction takes place and if necessary the reaction for the combustion of carbon monoxide or for its conversion to methane, where the gas mixture at the outlet of the reactor contains hydrogen in a mixture with carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane, or other gases in small quantities and is separated to the degree that it is necessary for any use.