Hythane
As hythane (international hythane; of engl .: "hydrogen" and "methane"), an artificially produced mixture is methane and hydrogen indicated that as the gaseous fuel can be used. Hythanes are being discussed as potential biofuels , among other things, and are currently being tested. The use in combustion engines was tested in various pilot projects in Canada , the United States and Sweden .
properties
Hythanes consist of a mixture of methane and hydrogen, the latter supposed to improve the fuel properties of methane by increasing the flame speed and the associated better combustion due to its properties .
In the form of the gas mixture, Hythane should combine the very good fuel properties of hydrogen as a fuel for use in internal combustion engines and fuel cells with the significantly better infrastructure when using methane.
Manufacturing
Hythanes are made by adding 8 to 32 percent by volume hydrogen (H 2 ) to methane (CH 4 ). The methane can be of fossil nature ( natural gas ) or of biogenic origin.
Both methane and hydrogen for the production of hythanes can be produced on the basis of biomass. After methanation, the methane comes either from a biogas process or as Substitute Natural Gas (SNG) from biomass gasification . The bio-hydrogen is also produced in a biomass gasification after a subsequent gas cleaning and conditioning by means of steam reforming . Alternatively, hydrogen can also be produced using electrolysis .
literature
- Hermann Hofbauer, Alexander Vogel, Martin Kaltschmitt: Gasification. In: Martin Kaltschmitt, Hans Hartmann, Hermann Hofbauer (Hrsg.): Energy from biomass. Basics, techniques and procedures. Springer Verlag, Berlin and Heidelberg 2009; Pp. 668-669. ISBN 978-3-540-85094-6 .
- Jens Huttenrauch, Gert Muller-Syring: Assessment of repair and rehabilitation technologies relating to the transport of hythan (hydrogen-methane-mixture). (PDF; 871 kB) Report No. R0016-WP4-P-0, EU project NATURALHY (SES6 / CT / 2004/502661).