Moist Biogas Conversion in a Plasma–Catalytic System

Abstract

The limited resources of conventional fuels and their negative impact on the environment require scientists to search for alternative energy sources. One of the promising renewable sources of energy is biomass. The energy stored in biomass can be used in various ways. It can be combusted, gasified, or fermented, which leads to obtaining biogas. The main components of biogas are carbon dioxide and methane. The aim of this study was to convert in plasma and plasma–catalytic systems low methane biogas into a hydrogen and carbon monoxide mixture, which will allow for a wider range of potential applications. The combustible gas content increased in both systems. The effect of the water vapor content was investigated. It affects the conversion of CH 4 and CO 2 and significantly reduces soot formation (calculated by the carbon balance). It was possible to increase the content of flammable gases by about 20%. The highest molar fraction, 0.16, of hydrogen was obtained with the reduced cobalt catalyst.