Investigation and Thermodynamic Analysis of Steam Reforming of Glycerin and Ethanol for Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen is considered as a clean fuel and a new and renewable energy source. Hydrogen production using the reforming process is one of the most popular and economical methods of hydrogen production in the world. In fact, hydrogen production by the steam reforming process depends on factors such as pressure, temperature and the ratio of reactants. This paper investigates the production of hydrogen from glycerol and ethanol through both experimental methodology and thermodynamic analysis. In thermodynamic calculation, the Gibbs free energy minimization method has been used for calculation of equilibrium concentration of various particles. Comparison between experimental and thermodynamic results indicates that the two methods are very close to each other. In addition, studies show that suitable conditions for hydrogen production are low pressure, high temperature and a high ratio of reactant to water.