THERMODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM CONVENTIONAL STEAM REFORMING OF GROUNDNUT SHELL

Abstract

Hydrogen production was simulated (with CEA and Aspen Plus software) using conventional steam reforming process and groundnut shell as feedstock. Chemical equilibrium application (CEA) that works based on minimisation of Gibbs Energy was used for the study. It is found that H2 yield, and purity increased steeply as temperature increased. However, at steam to carbon ratio (S:C) 0 at least 900 K is required to undergo thermal decomposition and to start converting the feedstock significantly to H2. H2 yield and purity also increases in succession of steam to carbon ratio i.e., S:C 5 > S:C 4 > S:C 3 > S:C 2 > S:C 1 > S:C 0. It was concluded that H2 yield, and purity was completely dependent on temperature and S:C ratio. The conditions of S:C 5 and temperature range of 850 to 1000 K are optimal conditions for conventional steam reforming of groundnut shell based on the conditions investigated in this study.