Steam-iron process

Metal—Water Processes. The steam-iron process, one of the oldest methods to produce hydrogen, iavolves the reaction of steam and spongy iron at 870°C. Hydrogen and iron oxide are formed. These then react further with water gas to recover iron. Water gas is produced by reaction of coal with steam and air. 

Steam-Iron Process Using Methane as Feedstock... 

Schematics of cyclic (a) and continuous (b) reactor for hydrogen production by steam-iron process. I—IV denote the reactor zones.

Hacker, V. Fankhauser, R. Faleschini, G. Fuchs, H. Friedrich, K. Muhr, M. Kordesch, K., Hydrogen production by steam-iron process. Journal of Power Sources 2000, 86, 531-535. 

Gasior, S.J. et al., Production of synthesis gas and hydrogen by the steam iron process—Pilot-plant study of fluidized and free-falling beds, Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations, Pittsburgh, PA, 5911,49,1961. 

Katell, S., Faber, J.H., and Wellman, P.,An Economic Evaluation of Hydrogen Production by the Continuous Steam-Iron Process at Seven Atmospheres, Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations (No. 6089), Pittsburgh, PA, 13,1962. 

Steam generator Steam-hydrocarbon Steam-iron process Steam irons... 

Figure 11 shows the effect of taking by-product credits for the oxygen co-produced by electrolysis and the electric power co-produced by the Steam-Iron Process. 

It can be seen from Figure 6 that by far, the least expensive is hydrogen by steam reforming. This results from the low plant cost for this system, which is only a fraction of that for other processes. Even though the cost of the natural-gas feed, on an energy basis, is about twice that of coal, hydrogen price is about half that from the Koppers-Totzek and Steam-Iron Processes, if by-product power from the latter is sold at 2d/kWhr. At 4c/kWhr, the price drops to less than that for partial oxidation (Figure 11). 

Figure 11. Effect of by-product credits on hydrogen price for 100 X 106 scfd of hydrogen by electrolysis and steam-iron processes...

The future attractiveness of the coal-based process will depend upon the availability of natural gas or oil at a reasonable cost. If the coal cost rises to 1.50/106 Btu from the 1.00 level, then the cost of natural gas must rise to 3.10/106 Btu for hydrogen by the Steam-Iron Process to compete with reforming if by-product power sells at 4c/kWhr. At 2c/kWhr by-product power, natural gas cost must rise to 4.65/106 Btu for the Steam-Iron Process to be competitive. 

Hacker V., Fankhauser R., Faleschini G., Fuchs H., Friedrich K., Muhr M., Kordesch K. (1999) Hydrogen production by steam-iron process. Journal of Power... 

Simulations have been carried out for a modified steam-iron-process as a test reaction for processes where reduction-oxidation cycles will occur in two separated steps in a fixed bed reactor. The particularity of the used reaction system is the combination of a relatively fast exothermic gas-solid reaction in one half-cycle with a slow endothermic one in the other half cycle. 

For the simulation studies a test reaction was chosen where the separation in a reduction and an oxidation step is necessary. The steam iron process was used in the twenties for hydrogen production from coal [12]. It includes a reduction of an iron oxide (mostly FesO )... 

For the simulations, nickel oxide was used as active metal component (modified steam iron process). 

Hydrogen can be manufactured electrolytically, by the water gas process, by the steam-iron process, by the hydrocarbon-steam process, and by the... 

The steam>iron process is another old hydrogen generation process. Although based on coal, it is actually a cycle process where hydrogen is generated from the decomposition of steam by reacting with iron oxide. The cycle, however, is not completely closed, since... 

A different configuration has been developed at the Ohio State University [56,57]. The system has been proposed both for CLC and steam-iron processes for Hj production. In this configuration, the fuel is fed to the reducer, which is located on the top of the system, and the gas moves in countercurrent to the OCs. After the reduction, the first oxidation occurs in a moving bed, which is operated with steam, and H2 is produced. Subsequently, the OCs are moved to a riser where the oxidation is completed and recirculated in the loop (Figure 5.13). 

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