Feasibility analysis of Ca-looping sorption enhanced steam reforming of bio-butanol for SOFC application: comparative study with steam and auto-thermal reforming

The thermodynamic analysis of Ca-looping sorption enhanced steam reforming of renewable energy source bio-butanol was carried out. The effect of reformer temperature, steam to carbon molar ratio and CaO to carbon molar ratio were investigated on the production rate of H-2, CO, CO(2)and CH4. The favorable reformer conditions were proposed as 600 degrees C reformer temperature, steam to carbon molar ratio = 4 and CaO to carbon molar ratio = 1 with respect to hydrogen production rate and utility requirement of Ca-looping process. A process was developed for the application of reformer exhaust gases for solid oxide fuel cell. Performance of different reforming processes (sorption enhanced steam reforming, steam reforming and auto-thermal reforming) was evaluated in terms of overall energy efficiency. Among all these processes the auto-thermal reforming exhibited the highest overall energy efficiency of 77.30% followed by steam reforming (66.57%) and sorption enhanced steam reforming (66.04%).