Electrochemical process for co2 reduction to fuel and simultaneous oxygen generation
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsTianli Zhu, Sean C. Emerson, Zissis A. Dardas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is an electrochemical process to simultaneously produce a syngas suitable for the Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) process and oxygen. In an example embodiment, the process includes feeding steam and CO2 to an intermediate temperature (e.g., <700° C.) electrochemical reactor to produce separate CO-rich and O2-rich streams. An additional electrochemical reactor can be used to produce H2. The H2 is combined with CO from the first reactor to produce a syngas mixture ideal for a downstream F-T process. Alternatively, the electrochemical reactor can produce methane directly or a methanol stream for conversion to a hydrocarbon fuel.
Claims20
An electrochemical system comprising:
- a first electrochemical reactor configured to accept a feed comprising steam and CO2 and to produce a CO-rich stream, a methane or methanol-rich stream and a first O2-rich stream;
- a second electrochemical reactor configured to produce a second O2-rich stream and a H2 stream;
- and
- a Fischer-Tropsch process configured to accept a feed comprising the CO-rich stream from the first electrochemical reactor mixed with the H2 stream from the second electrochemical reactor and to produce a liquid hydrocarbon fuel stream.
A method for operating electrochemical reactors comprising:
- feeding a stream comprising steam and CO2 to a first electrochemical reactor to produce a CO-rich stream, a methane or methanol stream and a first O2-rich stream;
- operating a second electrochemical reactor to produce a second O2-rich stream and a H2 stream;
- and
- feeding the CO-rich stream from the first electrochemical reactor mixed with the H2 stream from the second electrochemical reactor to a Fischer-Tropsch reactor to produce a liquid hydrocarbon fuel stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.