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US 2012/0222353 A1Published application
Method to Produce Methane Rich Fuel Gas from Carbonaceous Feedstocks Using a Steam Hydrogasification Reactor and a Water Gas Shift Reactor
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsArun SK Raju, Chan Seung Park, Joseph M. Norbeck
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Abstract
A method for producing high levels of methane based on a combination of steam hydrogasification and a shift reactor is provided using carbonaceous material. Hydrogen produced by the shift reactor can be recycled back into the steam hydrogasifier.
Claims20
A process for converting carbonaceous material into methane-rich fuel gas, comprising:
- simultaneously heating in a hydrogasification reactor the carbonaceous material in the presence of both hydrogen and steam, at a temperature and pressure sufficient to generate a stream of methane and carbon monoxide rich product gas;
- feeding the product gas to a shift reactor to produce H2, and recycling at least some of the H2 to the hydrogasification reactor;
- and
- controlling methane content in the product gas by varying steam to carbon ratio and H2 to carbon ratio to achieve a desired methane content.
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A process for converting carbonaceous material into methane-rich fuel gas, comprising:
- simultaneously heating in a hydrogasification reactor the carbonaceous material in the presence of both hydrogen and steam, at a temperature and pressure sufficient to generate a stream of methane and carbon monoxide rich product gas, and feeding the product gas to a shift reactor, wherein the CO rich gas product reacts with steam to produce H2, wherein 0.2 to 40% of methane on a dry mole basis is generated;
- and
- controlling methane content in the product gas by varying steam to carbon ratio and H2 to carbon ratio to achieve a desired methane content.
An apparatus for converting carbonaceous material into methane-rich fuel gas, comprising:
- a steam hydrogasification reactor, wherein the steam hydrogasification reactor is capable of generating a product gas comprising between 0.2 to 60% methane on a dry mole basis, without any downstream processors;
- and
- a shift reactor that produces hydrogen from the product gas and that is configured such as to allow recycling hydrogen back to the hydrogasification reactor.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.