New Publication at APT on Hydrogen Production from Biogas

In a recent publication from the Institute of Plant and Process Technology (APT), the development and experimental validation of a dynamic, plant-wide process model for a biogas steam reforming plant producing green hydrogen is presented. The model was validated under both steady-state and dynamic operating conditions using extensive measurement data from a pilot plant. 

Producing hydrogen from biogas offers significant potential for accelerating the ramp-up of the green hydrogen economy, particularly by leveraging existing decentralized biogas infrastructure. In the new publication by Edwin Hirtreiter et al. in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, a fully dynamic simulation model of a commercial-scale biogas steam reforming plant operated within the BioH2Ref project in Krefeld, Germany, is introduced. 

The model represents all key process units in detail, including biogas reforming, a two-stage water–gas shift, and hydrogen purification via pressure swing adsorption. Validation is based on data from a multi-day measurement campaign, covering steady-state operation as well as dynamic step tests on load, steam-to-carbon ratio, and reformer temperature. 

The results demonstrate good agreement between simulation and experimental data and show that the model accurately captures transient effects such as temporary temperature overshoots in the reformer catalyst. The work provides a robust basis for analyzing load flexibility, operating strategies, and start-up and shutdown procedures, thereby supporting the accelerated industrial deployment of modular biogas reforming plants for green hydrogen production. 

Link to the publication: 
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.6c00318