En
期刊文章
文章精选
当期目录
过刊浏览
高被引
高下载
特邀文章
专刊合集
待刊文章
Volume 116
您当前的位置：首页 > 期刊文章 > 当期目录 > Volume 116
Thermo-catalytic hydrogen from methanol steam reforming in a particle-driven solar energy loop
Zehao Li a b, Shuo Li a, Yitong Jiang b, Hui Cao a, Tianwei Tan a *, Huili Zhang a *
a State Key Laboratory of Green Biomanufacturing, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
b Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, China
10.1016/j.partic.2026.05.024
Volume 116, Received 30 January 2026, Revised 10 May 2026, Accepted 28 May 2026, Available online 15 June 2026, Version of Record 16 July 2026., Pages 424-436
Received 30 January 2026, Revised 10 May 2026, Accepted 28 May 2026, Available online 15 June 2026, Version of Record 16 July 2026.
E-mail: twtan@mail.buct.edu.cn; zhhl@mail.buct.edu.cn
Highlights

• Methanol is catalytically steam reformed in a solar reactor using particles as heat supply medium.

• Excess solar heat is stored as sensible particle heat to operate the process on non-sun periods.

• Co/α-Al2O3 is used as catalyst.

• The H2 yield exceeds ∼2.6 mol H2/mol CH3OH. CO and mostly CO2 closes the carbon balance.

• No catalyst coking is observed and the reaction rate and selectivity are very high.


Abstract

Green hydrogen is produced by the endothermal catalytic steam reforming of methanol (CSRM). The endothermic CSRM reaction (CH3OH + H2O → CO2 + 3H2) is conducted at temperatures between 300 and 350 °C. Since CSRM principles suffer from the required heat input, it was proposed to apply a solar energy heat supply throughout the process loop. The reaction is performed in a particle-driven concentrated solar concept, where inert olivine carrier particles are used to harvest, store, transport and use the captured solar heat. A Co/α-Al2O3 catalyst is present as a fixed bed multi-tube reactor. These small-diameter tubes are indirectly heated by the circulating olivine particles in a surrounding fluidized bed. H2-yields exceed 2.6 mol H2/mol CH3OH, >85% of the theoretical yield. The methanol carbon is converted to CO2, with very minor concentrations of CH4 and CO detected. The solar loop heat balance proves the thermal efficiency of the solar CSRM concept.

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Hydrogen; Catalysis; Methanol; Concentrated solar heat; Particle loop reactor; Heat storage
文章导读