Biosyngas production by autothermal reforming of waste cooking oil with propane using a plasma-assisted gliding arc reactor

Biosyngas production from renewable sources such as biomass has no impact on atmospheric CO2 levels. In this work, the initial tests results are presented for the conversion of waste cooking oil (WCO) to biosyngas by catalytic partial oxidation over a granular Ni-based catalyst. In addition, autothermal reforming of propane with water and normal air was also carried out. The investigations were performed in a partially adiabatic plasma-assisted (non-thermal) gliding arc (GlidArc) reactor at fixed pressure (1 bar) and electric power (0.3 kW). Detailed axial temperature distributions, product concentrations, reactant conversions, H2 and CO yields, H2/CO ratio and thermal efficiency, as a function of the cold and hot WCO flow rate, the water flow rate and the time on stream were studied. Propane and normal air were used as oxidizing components to maintain autothermal operation.