Optimal use of hybrid feedstock, switchgrass and shale gas for the simultaneous production of hydrogen and liquid fuels

Abstract

Abstract.In this paper, we present a superstructure optimization approach for the integration of the simultaneous production of liquid fuels and hydrogen from switchgrass and shale gas. The process is based on FischerTropsch technology in which the shale gas is reformed with steam, while the switchgrass is gasified and reformed (with steam or partial oxidation). The raw gas is cleaned up, including removal of the sour gases, and its composition is adjusted (using either water gas shift reaction or pressure swift adsoprtion) and the liquid fuels are obtained in an FT reactor. The heavy liquids are upgraded using hydrocracking to increase the yield towards FTdiesel. A sensitivity study on the raw material prices reveals that production costs for the biomass-shale gas facility are below $1/gal as long as biomass price is below $100/t and the price of the shale gas is not higher than $11.5 /MMBTU. Furthermore, hydrogen is produced as long as the demand for liquid fuels is met and there is enough shale gas available.

Toward more cost‐effective and greener chemicals production from shale gas by integrating with bioethanol dehydration: Novel process design and simulation‐based optimization

“…EI‐Halwagi and coworkers addressed process integration and performed techno‐economic and environmental impact analyses of a shale gas‐to‐methanol plant. Martín and Grossmann presented a superstructure optimization approach for the simultaneous production of liquid fuels and hydrogen from a hybrid shale gas and switchgrass process. However, these routes have been criticized for having high production and capital costs, large CO 2 emissions, and low carbon‐atom utilization efficiency …”

“…Typically, adding a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) process is a direct approach to reduce the process CO 2 emission. Additionally, from a sustainability point of view, the life cycle GHG emissions can be inherently mitigated by incorporating a renewable biofuel as a hybrid feedstock . As a first generation biofuel, corn‐derived bioethanol is an ideal choice, as it is currently commercially available, and bioethylene production via bioethanol dehydration (BD) is prevalent in the United States and Brazil .…”

Monetizing shale gas to polymers under mixed uncertainty: Stochastic modeling and likelihood analysis

“…In addition, researchers have designed various novel hybrid pathways to improve the energy‐economic‐environmental performances of shale gas projects. There are two subgroups of hybrid pathway designs, namely external integration, where the raw shale gas can co‐feed with other types of resource, that is, agricultural/forest residues, bioethanol, switchgrass, PG, and so forth and internal integration, where the methane and NGLs included in raw shale gas have the potential to be integrated within the processing and production systems …”

Optimization Models for Process Water Networks and Their Application to Biofuel Processes

“…The combination of biomass and shale gas (Martín and Grossmann, 2013b), biomass, coal, and natural gas (Baliban et al, 2011) results in flexible processes that allow the production of gasoline and diesel substitutes evaluating the limit prices for the different raw materials to produce competitive products. Among the fossil fuels coal and natural gas, either conventional or shale gas, can be considered.…”