Steam reforming of shale gas with nickel and calcium looping

High purity H₂ production from shale gas using sorption enhanced chemical looping steam reforming (SE-CLSR) was investigated at 1 bar, GHSV 0.498 h⁻¹, feed molar steam to carbon ratio of 3 and 650 °C for 20 reduction-oxidation-calcination cycles using CaO and 18 wt% NiO on Al₂O₃ as sorbent and catalyst/oxygen carrier (OC) respectively. The shale gas feedstock was able to cyclically reduce the oxygen carrier and subsequently reform with high H₂ yield and purity. For example H₂ yield of 31 wt% of fuel feed and purity of 92% were obtained in the 4th cycle during the pre-breakthrough period (prior to cycles with low sorbent capacity). This was equivalent to 80 and 43% enhancement compared to the conventional steam reforming process respectively.