Catalytic reforming of tar from pyrogasification: towards sulfur-resistant catalysts

Academic partner: IMT MINES ALBI is part of the Mines-Telecom Institute, which is today the first group of schools of engineering and management in France.  IMT Mines Albi is also an associate member of the Federal University of Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées and partner to a great number of institutions and prestigious universities in France and abroad. These privileged partnerships make it a welcoming ‘grand école’ and research centre, rich in opportunities, and in economic and professional development prospects. Joining IMT Mines Albi means being part of this network and benefiting from its expertise and the wide variety of opportunities it offers.

This internship position is open at the IMT MINES ALBI, in collaboration with ENGIE Group, and is attached to its RAPSODEE center (UMR CNRS 5302). RAPSODEE center counts for around 100 peoples (permanent staffs and non-permanents). The main activities of this center are structured into two research groups in the fields of energy, environment (group EE), and powder engineering and process (group PP). For more information about the RAPSODEE center: https://rapsodee.imt-mines-albi.fr/fr

Industrial partner: Aiming to become the leader of energy transition, ENGIE Group has focus its activities on renewable energies, gas network, and energy efficiency. In this context, ENGIE can rely on the capacity to innovate of its R&D center ENGIE Lab CRIGEN and academic partners to develop and test new technologies and processes for the green gas industry. Over the last ten years, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN has strongly collaborated with Ecole de Mines d’Albi on the fields of pyrogasification of biomass and waste and syngas cleaning processes.

Dedicated to renewable energy production and uses, digital and emerging technologies, ENGIE Lab CRIGEN brings together nearly 200 employees at Stains (near Paris). Within the CRIGEN, the Biogas Biomass & Waste Lab is specialized on Process Engineering to develop green gases production pathways (biogas, biomethane, syngas, hydrogen). To develop competitive offers linked to these new energy sectors, experimental facilities were recently built in Stains. The Lab conducts numerous R&D projects on thermochemical (pyrogasification, etc.) and biological conversion processes (anaerobic digestion, etc.), as well as on gas cleaning and upgrading.

Regarding pyrogasification process, an ambitious R&D program (GAYA project, www.projetgaya.com) led to the construction of a unique in the world and cutting-edge demonstration platform located nearby Lyon (France), called the GAYA platform. This demonstration plant, operated since 2018, is dedicated to R&D to test innovative solutions and optimize the biomethane production process prior to its commercialization by 2026.

Pyrogasification is a thermochemical process converting solid biomass and waste into a gaseous energy carrier called syngas. Syngas is mainly composed of H₂, CO, CO₂, and CH₄. It can be valorized as renewable biomethane through the methanation reaction, and thus substitute fossil-based natural gas. Syngas from pyrogasification may contain different types of pollutants (organic, inorganic) that must be removed in order to maintain the process performances. Organic pollutants, named tar, consist of hydrocarbon compounds heavier than benzene. When waste and residues are used as feedstock in the gasification reactor, the syngas contain many inorganic pollutants as well, such as H₂S, HCl, COS, NH₃, etc.

Tars are responsible for many operational issues in industrial pyrogasification plants, since they can condense at high temperature and consequently clog pipes and equipment. An interesting solution to solve this issue is the catalytic cracking of tar, converting them into valuable syngas. However, the viability of this solution is directly linked to the capacity of the catalyst to withstand the operating conditions. The most challenging condition regard the presence of inorganic gases which are poisons responsible for the drastic deactivation of metallic-based catalysts.

The main objective of this internship is to identify sulfur-resistant catalysts for tar reforming. To that purpose, a literature review will be conducted to:

• Identify catalyst formulations and techniques for tar reforming in presence of sulfur-pollutants
• Indicate the most promising catalytic formulations for tar reforming tests

The intern will also collaborate to engineering studies regarding the conception of an experimental setup that will be used for complex catalytic tests on tar reforming. Some of the tasks regard drawing a simplified P&ID of the setup and pre-design of the reaction unit.

During the internship, the intern will also contribute to experimental studies focused on other advanced syngas cleaning processes (adsorption and absorption pilots). This role offers a great opportunity to develop practical and technical expertise in a cutting-edge field, preparing the intern for a potential PhD position on tar reforming.

Education: Bac +5 (Master 2 or the last year of engineering school) specializing in chemical and/or process engineering and looking for internship.

Expected skills: catalyst, process, energy. The candidate should be motivated to conduct lab and pilot-experiments.

Expected qualities:

• Good interpersonal skills, listening skills and teamwork,
• Writing scientific report,
• Rigor and methodology in experimental work and data analysis,
• Autonomy,
• Strength of proposal,
• Good communication skills are required to lead this research project.