초록 ▼

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel

Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reforming converts carbonaceous compounds into a fuel for use in generating electrical power. Energy rich hydrocarbon fuels, such as coal, marine diesel, oils, and hydrocarbon wastes are employed as a feedstock for the ICP, which transforms the feedstock into a fuel that can be used by fuel cells and gas turbines for the production of electricity. The overall efficiency of an ICP-based electrical power system can be increased by providing partial oxidation within the reaction vessel. The partial oxidation conditions consume a small amount of the reformed fuel gas, thereby liberating sufficient thermal energy to reduce the electrical power requirements of the ICP to maintain desired reactor temperatures, and providing an increase in the overall net electrical power production. The integrated power production system can also adjust to meet an increased requirement for process heat and steam by balancing the effect of partial oxidation.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the following: 1. A method for producing a net surplus of electrical power from a carbonaceous feedstock, by reforming the carbonaceous feedstock into a fuel gas suitable for use in an electrical generator, such that substantially m

The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the following: 1. A method for producing a net surplus of electrical power from a carbonaceous feedstock, by reforming the carbonaceous feedstock into a fuel gas suitable for use in an electrical generator, such that substantially more electrical power is produced than is consumed, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a system configured to reform the carbonaceous feedstock into the fuel gas and to use the fuel gas to generate electrical power, the system comprising an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch and the electrical generator; (b) using the ICP torch to reform the carbonaceous feedstock into the fuel gas suitable for use in the electrical generator, the carbonaceous feedstock having been selected such that substantially more electrical power can be produced by the fuel gas than is consumed by operating the system wherein the plasma gas used to generate the ICP has no fuel value until it has been reformed; (c) introducing the fuel gas into an electrical generator; (d) using the fuel gas in the electrical generator to produce a first quantity of electrical power that is utilized to operate the system, and a second quantity of electrical power that corresponds to the net surplus of electrical power; and (e) distributing the second quantity of electrical power to be used for purposes other than operating the system. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the fuel gas in the electrical generator to produce the second quantity of electrical power comprises the step of producing more than one megawatt of electrical power per ton of carbonaceous feedstock. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical generator comprises a fuel cell. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of: (a) using a high temperature exhaust from the fuel cell to generate steam; and (b) using the steam to generate an additional quantity of surplus electrical power. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the high temperature exhaust from the fuel cell includes combustible gases, further comprising the steps of: (a) introducing the high temperature exhaust from the fuel cell into a combustion-based electrical generator; and (b) using the high temperature exhaust from the fuel cell in the combustion-based electrical generator to produce an additional quantity of distributed electrical power. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of compressing the high temperature exhaust from the fuel cell before introducing the exhaust from the fuel cell into the combustion-based electrical generator. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using a plasma gas to generate the ICP, wherein the plasma gas has no fuel value until it has been reformed, thereby increasing the second quantity of electrical power that is generated. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein all of the fuel gas generated by reforming the carbonaceous feedstock is used to generate the first and second quantities of electrical power, thereby increasing the second quantity of power that is generated. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first quantity of electrical power is required to operate the system, further comprising the step of reducing an amount of the first quantity of electrical power required to operate the system by using an oxidizer when performing the step of using the ICP to reform the carbonaceous feedstock. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: (a) employing a portion of the first quantity of electrical power generated by the electrical generator using the fuel gas reformed by the ICP, to separate air into an oxygen fraction and at least one other fraction; and (b) using the oxygen fraction for the oxidizer. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the efficiency of the system is increased by maintaining a non-reducing atmosphere in a reaction chamber where the carbonaceous material is reformed by the ICP, thereby increasing the second quantity of electrical power that is generated. 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using carbon dioxide as a plasma gas to produce the ICP. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using steam as a plasma gas to produce the ICP. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is coal, further comprising the step of pulverizing the coal before the step of using the ICP to reform the carbonaceous feedstock. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is natural gas, and the electrical generator comprises a fuel cell, such that the ICP reforms the natural gas into a fuel gas that is used to energize the fuel cell. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock comprises at least one of natural gas, marine diesel, coal, waste oils, chlorinated hydrocarbons, refinery wastes, hydrocarbon waste, and plastics. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical generator comprises at least one of a combustion-based electrical generator, and a fuel cell. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the combustion-based electrical generator comprises at least one of a turbine, an internal combustion engine, and an external combustion engine. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the fuel cell comprises at least one of a molten carbonate fuel cell, and a solid oxide fuel cell. 20. A method for producing a net surplus of electrical power from a carbonaceous feedstock, by reforming the carbonaceous feedstock into a fuel gas suitable for use in an electrical generator that produces electrical power, such that substantially more electrical power is produced than is consumed, comprising the steps of: (a) using an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to reform the carbonaceous feedstock into a fuel gas suitable for use in an electrical generator to produce electrical power, the carbonaceous feedstock having been selected such that substantially more electrical power can be produced by the fuel gas than is consumed by generating the ICP wherein the plasma gas used to generate the ICP is non-combustible; (b) introducing the fuel gas into a first electrical generator, the first electrical generator using the fuel gas to produce a first quantity of electrical power and an exhaust gas stream that includes combustible gases; (c) compressing the exhaust gas stream; and (d) introducing the exhaust gas stream into a second electrical generator, the second electrical generator combusting the exhaust gas stream to produce a second quantity of electrical power, the first and second quantity of electrical power in combination exceeding the electrical power consumed to generate the ICP. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the second electrical generator produces a hot exhaust gas stream, further comprising the steps of: (a) using the hot exhaust gas stream to generate steam; and (b) using the steam to generate a third quantity of electrical power. 22. The method of claim 20, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock cannot be used as a fuel for the electrical generator without first being reformed. 23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of using the ICP to reform the carbonaceous feedstock comprises the step of reforming the carbonaceous feedstock under substantially atmospheric pressure conditions. 24. A method for producing a net surplus of electrical power from coal using an electrical generator that cannot use coal directly as a fuel source, such that substantially more electrical power is generated than is consumed, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a system configured to reform the call into a fuel gas and to use that fuel gas to generate electrical power, the system comprising an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) torch, and an electrical generator; (b) using the ICP torch to reform the coal into the fuel gas, the quality of the coal having been selected such that substantially more electrical power can be produced by the fuel gas than is consumed by operating the system wherein the plasma gas used to generate the ICP is not a fuel gas; (c) introducing the fuel gas into the electrical generator; (d) using the fuel gas to produce a first quantity of electrical power that is utilized to operate the system, and a second quantity of electrical power that corresponds to the net surplus of electrical power, such that the second quantity of electrical power is substantially as large as or larger than the first quantity of electrical power; and (e) distributing the second quantity of electrical power to be used for purposes other than operating the system. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of using the ICP to reform the coal comprises the step of reforming the coal under substantially atmospheric pressure conditions. 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the electrical generator comprises a fuel cell. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of: (a) using a high temperature exhaust from the fuel cell to generate steam; and (b) using the steam to increase the second quantity of electrical power. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the exhaust from the fuel cell includes combustible gases, further comprising the steps of: (a) introducing the exhaust from the fuel cell into a combustion-based electrical generator; and (b) using the exhaust from the fuel cell to increase the second quantity of electrical power with the combustion-based electrical generator. 29. The method of claim 24, further comprising the step of reducing an amount of electrical power required to maintain the ICP, by using an oxidizer when performing the step of using the ICP to reform the coal.