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Title: The engine reformer: Syngas production in an engine for compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis

Abstract

Methane (CH 4 ) reforming was carried out in an internal combustion engine (an “engine reformer”). We successfully produced syngas from the partial oxidation of natural gas in the cylinder of a diesel engine that was reconfigured to perform spark ignition. Performing the reaction in an engine cylinder allows some of the exothermicity to be captured as useful work. Intake conditions of 110 kPa and up to 480 °C allowed low cycle‐to‐cycle variability ( COV nimep < 20 %) at methane‐air equivalence ratios ( ϕ M ) of 2.0, producing syngas with an H 2 ‐to‐CO ratio of 1.4. Spark ignition timing was varied between 45–30° before top‐dead‐center (BTDC) piston position, showing significant improvement with delayed timing. Hydrogen (H 2 ) and ethane (C 2 H 6 ) were added to simulate recycle from a downstream synthesis reactor and realistic natural gas compositions, respectively. Adding these gases yielded a stable combustion up to hydrocarbon‐air equivalence ratios ( ϕ HC ) of 2.8 with COV nimep  < 5 %. Ethane concentrations (with respect to methane) of up to 0.2 L/L (20 vol%) (with and without H 2 ) produced robust and stable combustions, demonstrating that the engine can be operated across a range of natural gas compositions. Engine exhaustmore » soot concentrations demonstrated elevated values at ϕ HC  > 2.4, but < 1 mg/L below these equivalence ratios. These results demonstrate that the engine reformer could be a key component of a compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis plant by highlighting the operating conditions under which high gas conversion, high H 2‐ to‐CO ratios close to 2.0, and low soot production are possible.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1];  [1];  [5];  [3];  [1];  [2]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 USA
  2. Department of Chemical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02142 USA
  3. MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center Cambridge MA 02139 USA
  4. Engineering Systems Division Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02142 USA
  5. MIT Energy Initiative Cambridge MA 02139 USA
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1401645
Resource Type:
Publisher's Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering Journal Volume: 94 Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0008-4034
Publisher:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Country of Publication:
Canada
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Lim, Emmanuel G., Dames, Enoch E., Cedrone, Kevin D., Acocella, Angela J., Needham, Thomas R., Arce, Andrea, Cohn, Daniel R., Bromberg, Leslie, Cheng, Wai K., and Green, William H. The engine reformer: Syngas production in an engine for compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis. Canada: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1002/cjce.22443.
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Lim, Emmanuel G., Dames, Enoch E., Cedrone, Kevin D., Acocella, Angela J., Needham, Thomas R., Arce, Andrea, Cohn, Daniel R., Bromberg, Leslie, Cheng, Wai K., & Green, William H. The engine reformer: Syngas production in an engine for compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis. Canada. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.22443
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Lim, Emmanuel G., Dames, Enoch E., Cedrone, Kevin D., Acocella, Angela J., Needham, Thomas R., Arce, Andrea, Cohn, Daniel R., Bromberg, Leslie, Cheng, Wai K., and Green, William H. Tue . "The engine reformer: Syngas production in an engine for compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis". Canada. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.22443.
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@article{osti_1401645,
title = {The engine reformer: Syngas production in an engine for compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis},
author = {Lim, Emmanuel G. and Dames, Enoch E. and Cedrone, Kevin D. and Acocella, Angela J. and Needham, Thomas R. and Arce, Andrea and Cohn, Daniel R. and Bromberg, Leslie and Cheng, Wai K. and Green, William H.},
abstractNote = {Methane (CH 4 ) reforming was carried out in an internal combustion engine (an “engine reformer”). We successfully produced syngas from the partial oxidation of natural gas in the cylinder of a diesel engine that was reconfigured to perform spark ignition. Performing the reaction in an engine cylinder allows some of the exothermicity to be captured as useful work. Intake conditions of 110 kPa and up to 480 °C allowed low cycle‐to‐cycle variability ( COV nimep < 20 %) at methane‐air equivalence ratios ( ϕ M ) of 2.0, producing syngas with an H 2 ‐to‐CO ratio of 1.4. Spark ignition timing was varied between 45–30° before top‐dead‐center (BTDC) piston position, showing significant improvement with delayed timing. Hydrogen (H 2 ) and ethane (C 2 H 6 ) were added to simulate recycle from a downstream synthesis reactor and realistic natural gas compositions, respectively. Adding these gases yielded a stable combustion up to hydrocarbon‐air equivalence ratios ( ϕ HC ) of 2.8 with COV nimep  < 5 %. Ethane concentrations (with respect to methane) of up to 0.2 L/L (20 vol%) (with and without H 2 ) produced robust and stable combustions, demonstrating that the engine can be operated across a range of natural gas compositions. Engine exhaust soot concentrations demonstrated elevated values at ϕ HC  > 2.4, but < 1 mg/L below these equivalence ratios. These results demonstrate that the engine reformer could be a key component of a compact gas‐to‐liquids synthesis plant by highlighting the operating conditions under which high gas conversion, high H 2‐ to‐CO ratios close to 2.0, and low soot production are possible.},
doi = {10.1002/cjce.22443},
journal = {Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering},
number = 4,
volume = 94,
place = {Canada},
year = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.22443
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Works referenced in this record:

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