초록 ▼

An integrated polygeneration system and process is disclosed for generating liquid hydrogen as a main energy product for use as a propellant for space vehicles. Secondary energy products and commodities for supporting a space center complex and launching of the space vehicle includes the production

An integrated polygeneration system and process is disclosed for generating liquid hydrogen as a main energy product for use as a propellant for space vehicles. Secondary energy products and commodities for supporting a space center complex and launching of the space vehicle includes the production of electrical and thermal energy and gaseous nitrogen. The integrated process includes a coal gasification and gas cleanup system (12), a combined cycle power generation system (18), a hydrogen production and liquefaction system (22) and a air separation system (32). A medium BTU gas (16) is produced by the coal gasification system and is delivered at (16a) to the power generation system and (16b) the hydrogen production and liquefaction system. Steam (14) also produced in the coal gasification process is delivered to a steam turbine in the combined cycle power generation system which is combined with a gas turbine to which the medium BTU gas is delivered to generate electrical and thermal power in a combined cycle power generation process. Steam from the coal gasification process is also delivered to a shift conversion unit in the hydrogen production system to increase the hydrogen content of the medium BTU gas prior to liquification. Air separation system (32) produces oxygen and gaseous nitrogen. The oxygen is utilized in the coal gasification process and the gaseous nitrogen is delivered for storage to a launch complex site where it is used as an inert gas to purge critical environments. The gaseous nitrogen is also utilized in the hydrogen production system where the nitrogen is liquified and used to refrigerate the hydrogen.

대표청구항 ▼

A polygeneration system for generating: multiple energy products, including electrical power from a compressed gas stream, the compression of which is obtained in part with selective removal of carbon dioxide from another gas stream with a pressure swing adsorber; and commodities, including particul

A polygeneration system for generating: multiple energy products, including electrical power from a compressed gas stream, the compression of which is obtained in part with selective removal of carbon dioxide from another gas stream with a pressure swing adsorber; and commodities, including particularly liquid hydrogen of high purity adequate for use with main thrust engines of a space shuttle, and gaseous nitrogen for use to purge critical environments in such space shuttle; in an integrated system at a single geographical location constituting a space shuttle launch vehicle complex, said system comprising: coal gasification and gas cleanup apparatus at said system location, which apparatus includes: a coal gasification unit adapted for gasifying coal supplied thereto and producing a medium BTU gas stream therefrom at a relatively high temperature; a heat recovery unit for receiving said medium BTU gas stream and producing saturated steam from said medium BTU gas stream for use at a plurality of locations downstream from said heat recovery unit, an acid gas removal unit receiving said medium BTU gas stream passed through said heat recovery unit and a portion of said saturated steam produced by said heat recovery unit, and removing only hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide therefrom, and a sulfur recovery unit for removing sulfur from said hydrogen sulfide and carbonyl sulfide; wherein said acid gas removal unit produces a resultant gasification gas stream generally free of sulfur and unshifted; and further including means for splitting said resultant unshifted gasification gas stream into first and second gas streams generally intended for power generation and liquid hydrogen production, respectively; a combined cycle power generation system at said location for receiving said first gas stream, which power generation system includes: a gas turbine to which said first gas stream is delivered for driving same, an electrical generator operatively associated with said gas turbine for producing electricity for utilization at said launch complex, a heat exchanger for receiving exhaust gas from said gas turbine and receiving a portion of said saturated steam produced by said heat recover unit and thereby produce a superheated steam, a steam turbine receiving said superheated steam for driving same, an electrical generator operatively associated with an output shaft of said steam turbine for generating electricity for utilization at said launch complex, and means for extracting heat from said steam turbine in the form of thermal energy and storing said thermal energy for subsequent utilization in space heating and air conditioning at said launch complex; and a hydrogen liquefaction and production system at said location to which said second stream is delivered, which liquefaction and production system includes: a shift conversion unit which receives said second gas stream and a portion of said saturated steam produced by said heat recovery unit, and produces therefrom a third gas stream with enhanced hydrogen and carbon dioxide content, a pressure swing adsorber unit, which receives said third gas stream, and selectively removes carbon dioxide under pressure from said third gas stream and purifies said hydrogen in said third gas stream to a relatively high purity, greater than at least 99.9% purity, which is required for use with main thrust engines of the space shuttle; structure which mixes said removed carbon dioxide under pressure with said first stream so as to enhance driving of said gas turbine thereby, a hydrogen liquefaction unit receiving said hydrogen gas stream, purified to the shuttle requirement specifications of greater than at least 99.9% purity, and producing therefrom liquid hydrogen of such relatively high purity greater than at least 99.9% purity for use with said space shuttle; storage means for receiving said liquid hydrogen and storing said liquid hydrogen at said launch complex for utilization with main thrust engines complex; air separation means at said launch complex for producing oxygen and gaseous nitrogen; and delivery means for delivering said gaseous nitrogen to a launch site at said launch complex for use as an inert gas for purging critical environments in and around said space shuttle, and for delivering oxygen to said gasification unit. An integrated on-site multiple energy products and commodities process for a space shuttle launch vehicle complex, including the production of electrical power from a compressed gas stream, the compression of which is obtained in part with selective removal of carbon dioxide from another gas stream with a pressure swing adsorber, and further including particularly the production of liquid hydrogen of adequate high purity for use with main thrust engines of a space shuttle, and the production of gaseous nitrogen for purging critical environments of such space shuttle, said process comprising the steps of: separating air into oxygen and nitrogen; using a portion of the liberated nitrogen to purge selected areas of the launch complex, including launch vehicles thereof such as a space shuttle; supplying coal and the liberated oxygen to a coal gasification device which outputs a medium BTU gas stream comprising carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide and steam; supplying said medium BTU gas stream to a heat recovery unit which draws an amount of steam therefrom to provide a separable source of steam for use downstream from such heat recovery unit, while also passing said medium BTU gas stream otherwise unchanged; performing acid gas removal and desulfurization on said medium BTU gas stream with an input drawing a portion of steam from said separable source of steam so as to separately produce sulfur and an unshifted separable resulting gas stream including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen, all under pressure; subjecting a portion of said unshifted resulting gas stream to a shift conversion process which obtains water therefor drawn from a portion of steam from said separable source of steam, and which outputs another gas stream having increased hydrogen and carbon dioxide content and further having all previous carbon monoxide of said resulting gas stream converted to carbon dioxide; supplying said another gas stream of carbon dioxide and hydrogen from said shift conversion process to a pressure swing adsorber which liberates the carbon dioxide content thereof under pressure and produces hydrogen of greater than at least 99.9% purity to meet use requirements of the space shuttle main thrust engines; mixing such liberated carbon dioxide under pressure with said unshifted resulting gas stream so as to form an enhanced gas stream having increased compressed carbon dioxide content; supplying hydrogen produced by said pressure swing adsorber and a portion of said nitrogen separated from air to a liquifier which outputs liquid hydrogen of greater than at least 99.9% purity, using said liquid hydrogen of greater than at least 99.9% purity to fuel thus engines of space vehicles at said complex; and using said enhanced gas stream having increased compressed carbon dioxide content to operate a combustion turbine which in turn drives a first electric generator to generate electric power used at said complex.