Electrolysis-boosted substitute natural gas from biomass: Kinetic modeling of fluidized bed gasification and system integration

The present work deals with the modeling of electrolysis-boosted biomass gasification for the production of green synthetic methane (or substitute natural gas) with a composition that enables its potential injection into the natural gas distribution grid. A kinetic and hydrodynamic model has been built to simulate a bubbling fluidized bed reactor using a mixture of steam and oxygen as gasifying agent. The model was firstly validated by comparing it with experimental results available in the open literature. Outlet temperature spans from about 730 to 1060° C depending on the used amount of oxygen and steam within the gasifying agent, expressed through parameters like equivalence ratio and steam-to-biomass ratio. Then, process modeling for the integration between biomass gasification and high-temperature steam electrolysis has been carried out. Electrolysis has been sized to enrich the hydrogen content of the syngas, enabling a stoichiometric composition in terms of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide for the subsequent catalytic methane synthesis via carbon oxides hydrogenation. Thermal integration has been carefully designed to improve the overall process efficiency up to about 71 % (based on lower heating value of both biomass and substitute natural gas).