Waste glycerol gasification to syngas in pure DC water vapor arc plasma

In this experimental study, the conversion of waste glycerol, derived from industrial biodiesel production process, to syngas in water vapor DC thermal arc plasma was carried out. Pure water vapor was used as a gasifying agent, a heat carrier and a plasma-forming gas. This enabled to avoid undesirable ballast products, such as nitrogen oxide, and obtain higher hydrogen and carbon monoxide concentration. It was found that a higher process efficiency (the concentration of H2 57.9 vol% and CO 21 vol%, the H2/CO ratio 2.76, the yield of H2 70 mol.% and CO 37 mol.%, the tar content 0.822 g/m3, the carbon conversion efficiency 68%, the energy conversion efficiency 39.5%) with a lower specific energy requirement (227.8 kJ/mol) was obtained at the highest H2O/C3H8O3 ratio of 1.9 (or water vapor flow rate of 14.76 kg/h, waste glycerol content of 7.88 kg/h, and the plasma torch power of 57 kW). This study is expected to provide an effective and advanced waste-to-energy solution.