Methanpyrolyse im Flüssigmetall-Blasensäulenreaktor: Einfluss von Ethan und Propan auf die Methanzersetzung

Hydrogen plays a pivotal role in shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy. As new applications continue to emerge, demand for H2 will climb sharply. Today¿s main production method, steam reforming of methane, releases large amounts of CO2, so cleaner alternatives are needed. Pyrolyzing natural gas offers one such route. In the absence of oxygen, CH4 splits into H2 and solid carbon, yielding CO2-neutral hydrogen with relatively low energy input. Running this reaction in a liquid medium helps prevent carbon buildup and improves heat transfer, allowing efficient operation at lower temperatures. Still, better reactor designs and deeper insight into the reaction kinetics and mechanisms are necessary for scaling up the process. This thesis examines the reactions of ethane and propane, the most common minor gases in natural gas, and their effect on methane during pyrolysis. In an inductively heated bubble-column reactor filled with molten tin, pure CH4, C2H6, and C3H8, as well as their binary mixtures at 950¿1150 °C, were evaluated. An analysis of the outlet gas coupled with a kinetic model set up for this thesis allowed for the calculation of conversion rates, hydrogen yields, and activation energies. The dissociation of ethane and propane requires lower activation energies and begins at reduced temperatures. The radicals formed in this process enhance methane cracking in binary mixtures. Around 1150 °C, however, this promoting effect diminishes, but the exploration of various catalysts and gas-injection methods might yield different results. Therefore, further research is essential to establish methane pyrolysis as a cornerstone of the energy transition.