IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0031486
(2011-02-21)
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등록번호 |
US-8669013
(2014-03-11)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Powell, Charles Allen
- Raman, Pattabhi K.
- Robinson, Earl T.
- Sirdeshpande, Avinash
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
239 |
초록
The present invention relates to processes and apparatuses for generating electrical power from certain non-gaseous carbonaceous feedstocks through the integration of catalytic hydromethanation technology with fuel cell technology.
대표청구항
▼
1. A process for generating electrical power from a non-gaseous carbonaceous material, the process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing into a hydromethanation reactor (1) a carbonaceous feedstock derived from the non-gaseous carbonaceous material, (2) a hydromethanation catalyst, and (3) a supe
1. A process for generating electrical power from a non-gaseous carbonaceous material, the process comprising the steps of: (a) introducing into a hydromethanation reactor (1) a carbonaceous feedstock derived from the non-gaseous carbonaceous material, (2) a hydromethanation catalyst, and (3) a superheated hydromethanation gas feed stream comprising steam, hydrogen and carbon monoxide;(b) reacting the carbonaceous feedstock in the hydromethanation reactor in the presence of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, steam and hydromethanation catalyst to produce a methane-enriched raw product;(c) withdrawing a methane-enriched product stream from the hydromethanation reactor, wherein the methane-enriched raw product stream comprises methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, steam and heat energy, and wherein the methane-enriched raw product stream comprises at least 50 mol % methane plus carbon dioxide (based on the moles of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the methane-enriched raw product stream);(d) recovering a portion of the heat energy from the methane-enriched raw product stream;(e) removing a substantial portion of the hydrogen sulfide and, optionally, at least a predominant portion of the carbon dioxide, from the methane-enriched raw product stream to produce a sulfur-depleted raw product stream;(f) introducing into a fuel cell (1) an oxygen-containing gas stream and (2) a fuel mixture, the fuel cell comprising an anode section and a cathode section separated by an electrolyte section, the oxygen-containing gas stream being introduced into the cathode section and the fuel mixture being introduced into the anode section, the fuel mixture comprising at least methane and hydrogen from the sulfur-depleted raw product stream;(g) electrochemically reacting in the fuel cell oxygen from the oxygen-containing gas stream with the fuel mixture to generate electrical power and heat energy;(h) withdrawing from the fuel cell (1) an oxygen-depleted cathode exhaust stream and (2) an anode exhaust stream, wherein both the oxygen-depleted cathode exhaust stream and the anode exhaust stream comprise heat energy, and wherein the anode exhaust stream further comprises methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and steam;(i) recovering a portion of the heat energy from the anode exhaust stream to produce a cooled anode exhaust stream;(j) removing at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide from the cooled anode exhaust stream to generate a carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream; and(k) optionally generating carbon monoxide and hydrogen from at least a portion of the methane in the carbon-dioxide depleted anode exhaust stream;wherein the hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the superheated hydromethanation gas feed stream substantially comprises (1) hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream, and (2) hydrogen and carbon monoxide generated from methane in the carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream. 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the methane-enriched raw product stream comprises at least about 20 mol % methane (based on the moles of methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the methane-enriched raw product stream). 3. The process of claim 1, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is loaded with hydromethanation catalyst prior to being supplied to the hydromethanation reactor, and the hydromethanation catalyst comprises an alkali metal. 4. The process of claim 1, wherein a char by-product is generated in step (b), and is continuously or periodically withdrawn from the hydromethanation reactor. 5. The process of claim 4, wherein the hydromethanation catalyst comprises an alkali metal, the char by-product comprises an alkali metal content from the hydromethanation catalyst, at least a portion of the char by-product is treated to recover at least a portion of the alkali metal content, and at least a portion of the recovered alkali metal content is recycled for use as hydromethanation catalyst. 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the carbonaceous feedstock is impregnated with hydromethanation catalyst prior to being supplied to the hydromethanation reactor, and the hydromethanation catalyst used to impregnate the second carbonaceous feedstock comprises recycled hydromethanation catalyst and a make-up hydromethanation catalyst. 7. The process of claim 1, wherein an oxygen-rich gas stream is fed into the hydromethanation reactor. 8. The process of claim 7, wherein the amount of oxygen provided is varied as a process control to assist control of the temperature in the hydromethanation reactor. 9. The process of claim 1, wherein step (k) is present. 10. The process of claim 9, wherein step (k) comprises the step of passing at least a portion of the carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream through a methane reformer unit to generate hydrogen and carbon monoxide from methane in the carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream. 11. The process of claim 10, wherein the methane reformer unit utilizes non-catalytic partial oxidation process or an autothermal reforming process, and wherein an oxygen-rich gas stream is fed into the methane reformer unit along with the carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream. 12. The process of claim 1, wherein step (b) has a syngas demand, a steam demand and a heat demand, and the superheated hydromethanation gas feed stream comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, steam and heat energy sufficient to at least substantially satisfy the syngas demand, steam demand and heat demand. 13. The process of claim 1, wherein in step (e) a substantial portion of the hydrogen sulfide and at least a predominant portion of the carbon dioxide are removed from the methane-enriched raw product stream in a first acid gas removal unit to produce the sulfur-depleted raw product stream, and in step (j) at least a substantial portion of the carbon dioxide is removed from the cooled anode exhaust stream in a second acid gas removal unit to generate a carbon dioxide-depleted anode exhaust stream. 14. The process of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the heat energy is recovered from the oxygen-depleted cathode exhaust stream, and at least a portion of the heat energy recovered from the oxygen-depleted cathode exhaust stream is used to preheat the oxygen-containing gas stream. 15. The process of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the heat energy recovered from the anode exhaust stream is used to preheat the fuel mixture.
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