Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production
Methanol, which can be derived from sustainable energy sources such as biomass, solar power, and wind power, is widely considered an ideal hydrogen carrier for distributed and mobile hydrogen production. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the thermodynamic and techno-economic performance o...
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2024-12-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/81 |
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| author | Changsong Hu Chao Xu Xiaojun Xi Yao He Tiejun Wang |
| author_facet | Changsong Hu Chao Xu Xiaojun Xi Yao He Tiejun Wang |
| author_sort | Changsong Hu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Methanol, which can be derived from sustainable energy sources such as biomass, solar power, and wind power, is widely considered an ideal hydrogen carrier for distributed and mobile hydrogen production. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the thermodynamic and techno-economic performance of the aqueous phase reforming (APR) and steam reforming (SR) of methanol was conducted using Aspen Plus and CAPCOST software to evaluate the commercial feasibility of the APR process. Thermodynamic analysis, based on the Gibbs free energy minimization method, reveals that while APR and SR have similar energy demands, APR achieves higher energy efficiency by avoiding losses from evaporation and compression. APR typically operates at higher pressures and lower temperatures compared to SR, suppressing CO formation and increasing hydrogen fraction but reducing methanol single-pass conversion. A techno-economic comparison of APR and SR for a distributed hydrogen production system with a 50 kg/h hydrogen output shows that although APR requires higher fixed operating costs and annual capital charges, it benefits from lower variable operating costs. The minimum hydrogen selling price for APR was calculated to be 7.07 USD/kg, compared to 7.20 USD/kg for SR. These results suggest that APR is a more economically viable alternative to SR for hydrogen production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0beeb9f084b9444590e28e28d132bcca |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-0beeb9f084b9444590e28e28d132bcca2025-01-10T13:17:02ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732024-12-011818110.3390/en18010081Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen ProductionChangsong Hu0Chao Xu1Xiaojun Xi2Yao He3Tiejun Wang4School of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Environmental Science and Technology, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaSchool of Chemical Engineering and Light Industry, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, ChinaMethanol, which can be derived from sustainable energy sources such as biomass, solar power, and wind power, is widely considered an ideal hydrogen carrier for distributed and mobile hydrogen production. In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the thermodynamic and techno-economic performance of the aqueous phase reforming (APR) and steam reforming (SR) of methanol was conducted using Aspen Plus and CAPCOST software to evaluate the commercial feasibility of the APR process. Thermodynamic analysis, based on the Gibbs free energy minimization method, reveals that while APR and SR have similar energy demands, APR achieves higher energy efficiency by avoiding losses from evaporation and compression. APR typically operates at higher pressures and lower temperatures compared to SR, suppressing CO formation and increasing hydrogen fraction but reducing methanol single-pass conversion. A techno-economic comparison of APR and SR for a distributed hydrogen production system with a 50 kg/h hydrogen output shows that although APR requires higher fixed operating costs and annual capital charges, it benefits from lower variable operating costs. The minimum hydrogen selling price for APR was calculated to be 7.07 USD/kg, compared to 7.20 USD/kg for SR. These results suggest that APR is a more economically viable alternative to SR for hydrogen production.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/81methanolhydrogenaqueous phase reformingsteam reformingthermodynamic analysistechno-economic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Changsong Hu Chao Xu Xiaojun Xi Yao He Tiejun Wang Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production Energies methanol hydrogen aqueous phase reforming steam reforming thermodynamic analysis techno-economic analysis |
| title | Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production |
| title_full | Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production |
| title_fullStr | Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production |
| title_short | Thermodynamic and Techno-Economic Performance Comparison of Methanol Aqueous Phase Reforming and Steam Reforming for Hydrogen Production |
| title_sort | thermodynamic and techno economic performance comparison of methanol aqueous phase reforming and steam reforming for hydrogen production |
| topic | methanol hydrogen aqueous phase reforming steam reforming thermodynamic analysis techno-economic analysis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/1/81 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT changsonghu thermodynamicandtechnoeconomicperformancecomparisonofmethanolaqueousphasereformingandsteamreformingforhydrogenproduction AT chaoxu thermodynamicandtechnoeconomicperformancecomparisonofmethanolaqueousphasereformingandsteamreformingforhydrogenproduction AT xiaojunxi thermodynamicandtechnoeconomicperformancecomparisonofmethanolaqueousphasereformingandsteamreformingforhydrogenproduction AT yaohe thermodynamicandtechnoeconomicperformancecomparisonofmethanolaqueousphasereformingandsteamreformingforhydrogenproduction AT tiejunwang thermodynamicandtechnoeconomicperformancecomparisonofmethanolaqueousphasereformingandsteamreformingforhydrogenproduction |