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US 2014/0272629 A1Published application
Integration of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells in a Refinery Setting
AssigneeExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
InventorsPaul J. Berlowitz, Timothy Andrew Barckholtz, Anita S. Lee
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Abstract
In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for operating molten carbonate fuel cells in a refinery setting. The molten carbonate fuel cells can be used to provide hydrogen to various refinery processes, including providing hydrogen in place of using a carbon-based fuel for various combustion reactions. In a further aspect, CO2-containing streams generated by refinery processes can also be used as input streams to the molten carbonate fuel cells.
Claims20
A method for generating hydrogen in a refinery, the method comprising:
- introducing a fuel stream comprising a reformable fuel into an anode of a molten carbonate fuel cell, an internal reforming element associated with the anode, or a combination thereof;
- introducing a cathode inlet stream comprising CO2 and O2 into a cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell;
- generating electricity within the molten carbonate fuel cell;
- generating an anode exhaust comprising H2 and CO2;
- performing a separation on the anode exhaust to form a CO2-rich gas stream having a CO2 content greater than a CO2 content of the anode exhaust, and a CO2-depleted gas stream having a CO2 content less than the CO2 content of the anode exhaust;
- and
- delivering the CO2-depleted gas stream to one or more second refinery processes.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.