Method of recycling carbon to a feedstock gas reactor
AssigneeEkona Power Inc.
InventorsChristopher Edwin John Reid, Kenneth William Kratschmar, David Aaron Leboe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of using a feedstock gas reactor is described. A hydrocarbon, such as methane, is chemical decomposed in the feedstock gas reactor using heat of combustion generated from the combustion of a combustible gas. A mixed product stream is extracted from the feedstock gas reactor. The mixed product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon, and water. At least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases are vented from the combustion chamber. At least some of the carbon is activated using the vented one or more combustion product gases. At least some of the activated carbon is recycled to the feedstock gas reactor.
Claims21
A method of using a feedstock gas reactor comprising a reaction chamber fluidly connected to a combustion chamber via one or more fluid flow paths, the method comprising:
- introducing a feedstock gas comprising a hydrocarbon into the reaction chamber;
- introducing a combustible gas into the combustion chamber;
- and
- combusting the combustible gas in the combustion chamber so as to form one or more combustion product gases and so as to cause at least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases to flow into the reaction chamber via the one or more fluid flow paths and mix with the feedstock gas, wherein, as a result of the mixing of the at a least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases with the feedstock gas, energy is transferred from the at least a portion of the one or more combustion product gases to the feedstock gas and thereby causes a chemical reaction to decompose the feedstock gas into one or more reaction product gases comprising hydrogen;
- extracting a mixed product stream from the feedstock gas reactor, wherein the mixed product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon, and water;
- generating a vent gas stream comprising one or more oxidizing gases output from the feedstock gas reactor;
- activating at least some of the carbon using the vent gas stream;
- and
- recycling at least some of the activated carbon to the feedstock gas reactor.
The method of 1, wherein activating at least some of the carbon comprises:
- separating at least some of the carbon from the mixed product stream;
- and
- activating the separated carbon.
A system comprising:
- a feedstock gas reactor comprising:
- a reaction chamber;
- and
- a combustion chamber fluidly connected to the reaction chamber via one or more fluid flow paths;
- and
- an igniter;
- valving for controlling flow of gases into and out of the feedstock gas reactor;
- and
- one or more controllers configured to perform a method comprising:
- controlling the valving to introduce a feedstock gas comprising a hydrocarbon into the reaction chamber;
- controlling the valving to introduce a combustible gas into the combustion chamber;
- and
- controlling the igniter to combust the combustible gas in the combustion chamber so as to form one or more combustion product gases and so as to cause the one or more combustion product gases to flow into the reaction chamber via the one or more fluid flow paths and mix with the feedstock gas, wherein, as a result of the mixing of the one or more combustion product gases with the feedstock gas, energy is transferred from the one or more combustion product gases to the feedstock gas and thereby causes a chemical reaction to decompose the feedstock gas into one or more reaction product gases comprising hydrogen;
- controlling the valving to extract a mixed product stream from the feedstock gas reactor, wherein the mixed product stream comprises hydrogen, carbon, and water;
- and
- controlling the valving to generate a vent gas stream comprising one or more oxidizing gases output from the feedstock gas reactor;
- controlling the valving to activate at least some of the carbon using the vent gas stream;
- and
- controlling the valving to recycle at least some of the activated carbon to the feedstock gas reactor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.