[Blog 4] How does it look a methanation plant? (laboratory at Unizar)
The methanation facility located at the University of Zaragoza consists on a CO2 bottle (≥99.5% purity, Air products X50S) connected to a mass flow controller (EL-Flow Bronkhorst® model F-201CV-RAD-22-K, measuring range 0.16 – 0.80 kg/h), a H2 bottle (≥99.5 purity, Air products X50S) connected to a mass flow controller (EL-Flow Bronkhorst® model F-201AV-RAD-22-V, measuring range 0.003 – 0.15 kg/h), a ceramic heater to pre-heat the reagent mixture (≤400 ºC, custom-made by Tellsa SL), a fixed bed reactor (tube in stainless steel 310 and flanges in stainless steel 304, in-house design), three electrical resistances wrapped around the reactor (3×500 W, annealed copper, model Electricfor FFC4 T-175-E), a water condenser (custom-made Tellsa SL) and a burner to co-fire the synthetic methane with butane (custom-made Tellsa SL). For cleaning and safety purposes, the facility also included a N2 entry (N2 bottle ≥99.998% purity, Air products X50S).
The gas composition is analyzed before and after the methanation step using a gas analyser, which consisted on a thermal conductivity detector (Calomat 6, Siemens) for H2 quantification and an infrared detector (Ultramat 23, Siemens) for CO2, CH4 and CO quantification. Pressure and temperature are measured with standard instrumentation at different points of the installation, and they are monitored using a Labview system.
The reactor consists on a tubular fixed bed (30 mm diameter and 490 mm in length). The prepared catalyst spheres were mixed and loaded with alumina spheres (3.56 mm in diameter with a true density of 3.81 g/cm3, Goodfellow AL60-SP-000122) to have a homogenous axial distribution of temperature. Additionally, two inert layers of 35 mm of alumina spheres were used to place the catalytic bed in the desired location and a 60 mm layer of quartz wool was placed at the bottom.
The reactor thermal design is based on a co-current “double pipe”. Air flows through the annular space to cool the inner tube (shell of 100 mm outer diameter), while the reactants flow through the inner tube (620 mm length and 30 mm inner diameter). A total of 9 thermocouples are distributed along the reactor length (50 mm of separation), which are placed in contact with the inner tube wall. Thus, the temperature of the wall measured by the thermocouples is expected to be representative to the actual temperature of the catalytic bed.
Project info
1 April 2021 – 30 June 2023
Total budget: 188,442.24 €
Spain
• University of Zaragoza
Japan
• Waseda University (Nakagaki Lab)
Austria
• K1-MET GmbH
General coordinator
M. Bailera (mbailera@unizar.es)
University of Zaragoza
Further information: cordis.europa.eu
[1] A review on CO2 mitigation in the Iron and Steel industry through Power to X processes. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, LM Romeo. Journal of CO2 Utilization, Volume 46, 1 April 2021, Pages 101456.
[2] CO2 recycling in the Iron and Steel Industry via Power-to-Gas and Oxy-Fuel Combustion. J Perpiñán, M Bailera, LM Romeo, B Peña, V Eveloy. Energies, Volume 14, 29 October 2021, Pages 7090.
[3] Revisiting the Rist diagram for predicting operating conditions in blast furnaces with multiple injections. M Bailera, T Nakagaki, R Kataoka. Open Research Europe, Volume 1:141, 29 November 2021.
[4] Synthetic natural gas production in a 1 kW reactor using Ni–Ce/Al2O3 and Ru–Ce/Al2O3: Kinetics, catalyst degradation and process design. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, A Alarcón, J Guilera, J Perpiñán, LM Romeo. Energy, Volume 256, 1 October 2022, Pages 124720.
[1] The global warming paradox of the colder winters
[2] Decarbonization of the industry: why electrification is not enough
[3] What is Power to Gas?
[4] How does it look a methanation plant? (laboratory at Unizar)
[5] Why the reutilization of CO2 must be smart?
[6] How does it work a Blast Furnace?
[7] Power to X routes for the decarbonization of ironmaking
[8] How does it look a blast furnace simulation? (Aspen Plus software)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 887077.
Project info
1 April 2021 – 30 June 2023
Total budget: 188,442.24 €
Spain
• University of Zaragoza Japan
• Waseda University (Nakagaki Lab) Austria
• K1-MET GmbH
General coordinator
M. Bailera (mbailera@unizar.es)
University of Zaragoza
Further information: cordis.europa.eu
[1] A review on CO2 mitigation in the Iron and Steel industry through Power to X processes. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, LM Romeo. Journal of CO2 Utilization, Volume 46, 1 April 2021, Pages 101456.
[2] CO2 recycling in the Iron and Steel Industry via Power-to-Gas and Oxy-Fuel Combustion. J Perpiñán, M Bailera, LM Romeo, B Peña, V Eveloy. Energies, Volume 14, 29 October 2021, Pages 7090.
[3] Revisiting the Rist diagram for predicting operating conditions in blast furnaces with multiple injections. M Bailera, T Nakagaki, R Kataoka. Open Research Europe, Volume 1:141, 29 November 2021.
[4] Synthetic natural gas production in a 1 kW reactor using Ni–Ce/Al2O3 and Ru–Ce/Al2O3: Kinetics, catalyst degradation and process design. M Bailera, P Lisbona, B Peña, A Alarcón, J Guilera, J Perpiñán, LM Romeo. Energy, Volume 256, 1 October 2022, Pages 124720.
[1] The global warming paradox of the colder winters
[2] Decarbonization of the industry: why electrification is not enough
[3] What is Power to Gas?
[4] How does it look a methanation plant? (laboratory at Unizar)
[5] Why the reutilization of CO2 must be smart?
[6] How does it work a Blast Furnace?
[7] Power to X routes for the decarbonization of ironmaking
[8] How does it look a blast furnace simulation? (Aspen Plus software)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 887077.