Syngas (Synthesis gas) is a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and often some carbon dioxide aswell. It has less than half the energy density of natural gas.
Production
Synthesis gas can be made using a variety of methods:
CO2 can be split into CO and then combined with hydrogen (H) to form syngas. This method is being examined by the solar fuels-project of the Dutch Institute For Fundamental Energy Research[1]. The project envisions to produce CO from CO2, by treating this latter gas with microwave radiation.[2]. The method is very ecologic (as it uses waste CO² ie from fossil fuel power plants)
It can also be made using a different technique, see here</ref>[3]
Usage
Coal gasification processes were used for many years to manufacture illuminating gas (coal gas) for gas lighting, cooking and to some extent, heating, before electric lighting and the natural gas infrastructure became widely available.
Syngas is btw also used to make a variety of things (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biobased_economy )
Syngas vs synfuel
Syngas should not be confused with synfuel (see see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_fuel). In general, fossil fuel reforming makes synfuel from fossil fuel (or natural gas) + hydrogen ( see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_reforming ) Syngas however is made from hydrogen and CO (or CO² after having treated CO² with microwaves).
References
- ↑ DIFFER
- ↑ NWT magazine 6/2012
- ↑ No use of fossil fuels with production of syngas using solar power