US 2025/0059655 A1Published application

Solar-powered ammonia and oxygen production system

AssigneesKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, King Abdullah City for Atomic & Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE)

InventorsEsmail Mohamed Ali MOKHEIMER, Binash IMTEYAZ, Fahad Abdulaziz ALSULAIMAN

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Abstract

A solar-powered ammonia and oxygen production system includes an electrolyzer, a PV cell unit, a heat exchanger, a solar tower, an air separation unit, a boiler, a first compressor, a second compressor and a third compressor, a turbine, a condenser, a water circulation pump, and a catalytic converter. The system utilizes these components to co-produce ammonia and oxygen while generating surplus power. The ambient air intake of the first compressor connects to the heat exchanger, which is thermally coupled to the solar tower. This hot air from the heat exchanger is supplied to the air separation unit. The nitrogen output from the air separation unit feeds into the boiler, and from there, to the catalytic converter. The boiler, turbine, condenser, and water circulation pump form a water/steam unit to rotate the turbine, producing mechanical energy that powers the first and second compressors.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A solar-powered ammonia and oxygen production system, comprising:

an electrolyzer having a water inlet, an oxygen outlet and a hydrogen outlet;
a PV cell unit comprising a PV panel, a thermoelectric generator panel, and a plurality of water channels;
a heat exchanger having a cold air inlet and a hot air outlet;
a solar tower;
an air separation unit comprising an ion transport membrane (ITM) and having a hot air inlet, an oxygen outlet and a nitrogen outlet;
a boiler having a nitrogen boiler inlet and a nitrogen boiler outlet;
a first compressor;
a second compressor;
a third compressor;
a turbine;
a condenser;
a water circulation pump;
and
a catalytic converter having a hydrogen inlet, a nitrogen inlet and an ammonia outlet, wherein the hydrogen inlet of the catalytic converter is fluidly connected to the hydrogen outlet of the electrolyzer,
wherein the first compressor has an ambient air inlet and a high pressure air outlet that is fluidly connected to the cold air inlet of the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is thermally connected to the solar tower, wherein the hot air outlet of the heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the hot air inlet of the air separation unit, the nitrogen outlet of the air separation unit is fluidly connected to the nitrogen boiler inlet of the boiler, and the nitrogen boiler outlet is fluidly connected to the nitrogen inlet of the catalytic converter, and
wherein the boiler, the turbine, the condenser, and the water circulation pump are fluidly connected and form a water/steam unit configured to rotate the turbine and generate mechanical energy, wherein the turbine is mechanically connected to the first and second compressors.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.