“HyPr-RING” is a new H2 production process using carbonaceous fuels in which the fuel is reacted
with subcritical steam and a calcium-based CO2 sorbent. We investigated the applicability of
this process to organic matter by examining the performance of the process with fuels of differing
volatility. The gasification rate and relative contributions of the volatile and “char” components
to H2 production were investigated by using dried sewage sludge with a high volatile component
concentration, coal with an intermediate volatile component concentration, and coal char with
a low volatile component concentration. During the initial thermal decomposition, carbon in
the fuels rapidly decreased with time and was converted to carbonaceous gas of CH4 and C2H6
in addition to H2. The amount of the decrease depended on the volatile content in the fuels.
Following this initial rapid stage, the residual carbon appeared to become charlike, even for the
high volatile content fuel. The gasification rate became slow, and the gasification shifted to
favor H2 production in a molar ratio of H2 to CH4 that approximated the equilibrium composition
for a char and steam reaction. NaOH catalytically promoted H2 production even for the sludge.
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