The start of the project was on 1st July 2021. We can divide the main activities on: research and training activities.
In WP1 a state of the art on oxygen carriers performance has been firstly organized. After training from CSIC, the researcher has prepared and characterized different oxygen carriers to be used in chemical looping combustion tests through impregnation, mechanical mixing, granulation (D1.1). The finally produced oxygen carriers have been:
- Fe20γAl
- Ni18αAl
- Ilmenite
- Tierga ore
- Iron-Manganese-Titanium based oxygen carriers
- Manganese-Iron Oxygen carriers
After training, characterization of oxygen carriers has been done through: ICP-OES, TGA, crushing strength analyzer, particle size distribution analyzer, skeletal density analyzer, porosimeter, BET analysis, XRD, SEM.
In the workpackage 2 tests were performed on a batch reactor made of Kanthal, an alloy made of FeCrAl, which allowed to reach high temperatures during the oxidation and reduction steps. Nickel derived oxygen carriers and iron derived oxygen carriers were tested with biomethane as a fuel in two experimental campaigns based on about 160 batch plant working hours. Six different temperatures were tested: 950°C, 1000°C, 1050°C, 1100°C, 1150°C and 1200°C with the aim of observing the influence of temperature on oxygen carrier attrition and bed agglomeration process.
In the workpackage 3 we performed modeling following at least 4 approaches:
- particle modeling based on the data derived from the pressurized thermogravimetric balance (PTGA);
- 0D modeling based on a previous model developed by Instituto de Carboquimica and University of Vienna, which was modified to take into consideration the effect of pressure on reactions and fluidization aspects;
- an Aspen Plus® model;
- two Computational Fluid dynamics models realized respectively in MFIX software and Barracuda® software.
In workpackage 4 an experimental campaign was performed on a continuous chemical looping combustion plant using glycerol and bio-oil as a model compound for liquid biofuels.
In workpackage 5 the guidelines for the design of a pressurized chemical looping combustor to be coupled to a gas turbine were developed during the secondment with Baker Hughes company (performed at the production site of Florence) and the collaboration with Tampere University.
