Novel concept for the conversion of wheat straw into hydrogen, heat, and power: A preliminary design for the conditions of Washington State University

Washington State University is located in a fertile region known as the Palouse. As one of the highest wheat-producing regions in the world, there are 458,553 tonnes of field residue available after each harvest. The close proximity of this untapped biomass resource is an outstanding opportunity to generate heat, hydrogen, and power for the university campus. The novel concept proposed utilizes a stepwise thermochemical conversion concept (pyrolysis–gasification) as the first step to produce pyrolytic char, vapor and syngas. The resulting syngas is then converted into methane via the methanation reaction prior to feeding it into a molten-carbonate fuel cell with a reformer for electricity production. The hydrogen produced can be used for fueling transit and maintenance vehicles, and for producing fertilizer. The byproduct heat is used to warm nearby research greenhouses and the electricity to power an expanding campus. Excess pyrolytic vapor can offset the fueling cost and emissions of the university steam plant and ash can be commercialized as a soil amendment. This manuscript is based on a project submitted by the students to the 2012 Hydrogen Student Design Contest.