Talk Tilte: H2 chemical storing in the valorization of CO2 into synthetic methane production through an integrated fixed bed reactor and a multi-stage bio-polymeric membrane separation system
Abstract:
A. Figoli*, H.B. Trujillo Ruales, F. Russo, F. Galiano, A. Iulianelli
National Research Council – Institute on Membrane Technology “Enrico Drioli” (CNR-ITM), via P. Bucci 17C, Rende (CS), 87036, Italy – (*) Corresponding author (Dr. Alberto Figoli): [email protected]
Abstract
Nowadays, carbon capture and utilization emerge as pivotal pillars for achieving the decarbonisation targets established within the European Green Deal framework [1]. This work proposes a novel approach consisting of the H2 chemical storing in the valorization of CO2 into synthetic methane production through of an integrated system combining a fixed bed methanation reactor, operated at 300 °C and GHSV between 1,100 h-1 and 2,200 h-1 and packed with a Ru-Al2O3 catalyst, with a multi-stage membrane gas separation process, based on eco-friendly bio-polymeric membranes (PLA) prepared by using green solvents (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Integrated fixed bed reactor with a multi-stage bio-polymeric membrane separation system
At 300 °C and 4 bar, CO2 conversion was 80% and the gaseous mixture coming out from the fixed bed reactor was purified, recovering CH4 with a concentration ≥ 97% and CO2 below 2%. The experimental campaign was supplemented by a thorough exergy analysis to evaluate the overall process efficiency, showing a maximum of exergy efficiency of 94% for the methanation reactor at 300 °C and 4 bar, 95% for the condenser at 300 °C and 2 bar, and 0.01% for the membrane gas separation system. The economic analysis, adopted to determine the final cost of the synthetic CH4 production to make the proposed integrated system competitive in the CH4 market, highlighted a value below $10/kWh operating between 9 and 10 h per day.
Keywords: H2 chemical storing, CO2 valorization, methanation reaction, synthetic methane, bio-polymeric PLA membranes, decarbonisation
References
[1] M. Beccarello, G. Di Foggia, Review and Perspectives of Key Decarbonization Drivers to 2030, Energies, 16 (2023) 1345, https://doi.org/10.3390/en16031345
Acknowledgement
The European Union – NextGeneration EU from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security POR H2 project, AdP MMES/ENEA/CNR/RSE, PNRR – Mission 2, Component 2, Investment 3.5 “Ricerca e sviluppo sull’idrogeno”, is acknowledged to support this work.
Biographical Sketch
Alberto Figoli is Director of the Institute on Membrane Technology “Enrico Drioli” – National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ITM), Rende (CS) Italy, since 1st March 2019. He is President of the Territorial CNR Research Area of Cosenza, since 1st January 2021.
- In May 1997, he started his PhD degree at Membrane Technology Group, Twente University (Enschede, NL) and he got the PhD in October 2001.
- He was researcher at CNR-ITM in Rende (CS, Italy) for the period December 2001- February 2019.
- He has been elected in the board of the European Membrane Society (EMS) and responsible for Awards and Summerschool (2015-2017) and Secretary (2017-2019).
- He is the Founder and Scientific Advisor of the Start-up Company WembraneX Srl (Italy), 2023.
- Winner of Global Prize for Innovation in Desalination 2024 – Section “Beyond Water”, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) 2023.
- He is involved in many international, European and National projects, as coordinator and CNR-ITM scientific responsible and/or participant. He has been invited speakers in many international Conferences and Courses. He is reviewer of several international projects with most prestigious Agencies.
- He is author of more than 300 scientific papers and chapters published in international journals and 10 National/International patents on membrane technology. He is Co-Editor of 9 books and many special issues. Hindex (Scopus) 60.
Alberto Figoli is expert in the field of membrane technology, in membrane preparation and characterisation and application in environmental field.