Hydrogen Energy Storage Via Plasma-Based Technology
AssigneeThe Texas A&M University System
InventorsShayan S. Niknezhad, Efstratios Pistikopoulos, David Staack
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Abstract
Provided herein are systems and processes for hydrogen production and storage. The systems have three main components that are a plasma-based reformer, a membrane and separation component and a gas compressor(s) that form a continuous fluid loop. The systems also may have a storage system for hydrogen energy storage. In the process natural gas is reformed in the plasma-based reformer into a mix of hydrogen and low-molecular weight hydrocarbons, flowed into the membrane and separation component where the hydrogen is separated out of the mix and stored and the hydrocarbons are recirculated via the gas compressors to the plasma-based reformer.
Claims20
A system for producing hydrogen, comprising:
- a gas reformer component;
- a membrane-based gas separation component in fluid connection with the gas reformer component;
- and
- means for recirculating non-hydrogen gases in fluid connection with the gas reformer and the membrane-based gas separation component.
A modular system for producing hydrogen energy from natural gas, comprising:
- in a continuous fluid loop:
- a plasma-based reformer operable to reform natural gas into a mixture of hydrogen and low molecular weight hydrocarbon products,
- a membrane and separation component operable to separate the mixture into a permeate consisting of the hydrogen and a retentate comprising the low molecular weight hydrocarbons;
- and
- at least one compressor operable to recirculate the retentate to the plasma-based reformer.
A continuous flow process for producing hydrogen energy, comprising:
- a) flowing natural gas into a plasma-based reformer;
- b) generating a plasma within the plasma-based reformer to produce hydrogen gas and low molecular weight hydrocarbons from the natural gas;
- c) flowing the hydrogen gas and low molecular weight hydrocarbons into a separation component to separate the hydrogen gas from the low molecular weight hydrocarbons, said hydrogen gas flowing through a membrane disposed therein;
- d) returning the low molecular weight hydrocarbons retained in the separation component to the plasma-based reformer;
- and
- e) repeating steps a) to d).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.