Non-catalytic and catalytic steam reforming of a bio-oil model compound in a novel "Jiggle Bed'' Reactor

In order to evaluate the performance of a novel batch fluidized microreactor, called "the Jiggle Bed Reactor'', in producing reliable and reproducible data and its functionality in relation to changes in operating parameters, non-catalytic and catalytic steam reforming of a model compound (acetic acid) was investigated. Silica sand was used as the bed material for non-catalytic tests and a commercial steam reforming catalyst was used for the catalytic tests. Testing parameters included temperatures between 650 degrees C and 750 degrees C, reaction times between 10 s and 90 s and molar steam to carbon ratio ( S/C) equal to 0, 3 and 6. Such long reactions times were selected to investigate extend of conversion of acetic acid and yield of product gases in the absence of catalyst. Atmospheric pressure was used in all experiments. Analysis of the product gas yield shows that the Jiggle Bed Reactor allows for a series of precise experiments over a short period of time in a small scale setup. In addition, the effects of operating parameters, such as temperature, reaction time, S/C ratio as well as type and mass of the bed particles on product gas yields, were clearly observed and reliable consistency between trends from the Jiggle Bed Reactor data and the literature was confirmed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.