PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN FROM CELLULOSIC BIOMASS BY UTILIZING SOLAR HEAT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing hydrogen from biomass using solar heat as a heat source. SOLUTION: This process produces the hydrogen from the cellulosic biomass in the following manner: (i) A heat medium is heated to >=300 deg.C by light condensing and/or heat collecting of the solar heat. (ii) The hydrogen is formed by heating the cellulosic biomass in a reactor in the presence of a hydrogen activated metallic catalyst and aq. medium under a pressure above the satd. vapor pressure of the aq. medium by using the high-temp. heat medium obtd. in the heat medium heating stage. (iii) A heat exchange is effected between the high- temp. reaction product obtd. in the hydrogen forming stage and a raw material slurry liquid consisting of a mixture composed of the cellulosic biomass and the aq. medium. (iv) The raw material slurry liquid obtd. in the heat exchange stage is supplied to the reactor. (v) The reaction product obtd. in the heat exchange stage is subjected to sepn. of gas from the liquid.