Development of a method to generate hydrogen directly from sewage sludge and elucidation of its reaction mechanism

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H01359
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Earth system and resources engineering
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kano Junya 東北大学, 多元物質科学研究所, 教授 (40271978)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村松 淳司 東北大学, 多元物質科学研究所, 教授 (40210059) ; 石原 真吾 東北大学, 多元物質科学研究所, 助教 (40760301)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 水素 / 下水汚泥 / 再生可能エネルギー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose is that using sewage sludge as a raw material, after mixing a catalyst with it, construct a system that simultaneously achieves volume reduction and hydrogen production of sewage sludge by heating while dropping water into the mixture, and clarify the reaction mechanism. Searching for catalysts to be mixed with sewage sludge, reusing catalysts, and clarifying reactions that occur during heating were investigated. It was found that the combination of calcium hydroxide and nickel hydroxide produces the largest amount of hydrogen, and hydrogen can be produced even if the residue containing calcium carbonate and nickel as the main components is reused. It turned out that the water gas reaction was mainly taking place.We found that hydrogen can be produced by using sewage sludge as a raw material, mixing it with a gasifying agent and a catalyst, and heating it in a steam atmosphere.

Free Research Field

環境粉体工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

下水汚泥中の有機成分の利用率は約25％と極めて低い状態にあり，その利用率の向上が求められている．一方で，地球環境保全の観点から水素社会の構築を世界が目指している．下水汚泥から水素を生成できる技術の開発は，社会のニーズに適合し，極めて重要である．本研究では，下水汚泥から水素を生成することに成功し，社会的意義として極めて高い．また，下水汚泥から水素が生成するメカニズムの解明にも取り組み，水性ガス反応が主に起こっていることが判明し，学術的意義も高い．