Autonomous Modular Flare Gas Conversion Systems and Methods
AssigneeM2X Energy Inc.
InventorsPaul E Yelvington, Bunmi Tolu Adekore, Joshua B. Browne, John Anthony Dean, Andrew Randolph
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There are provided systems and methods for using fuel-rich partial oxidation to produce an end product from waste gases, such as flare gas. In an embodiment, the system and method use air-breathing piston engines and turbine engines for the fuel-rich partial oxidation of the flare gas to form synthesis gas, and reactors to convert the synthesis gas into the end product. In an embodiment the end product is methanol.
Claims85
A continuous method of converting a flare gas to methanol, the method comprises:
- a. receiving a flare gas flow from a source, wherein:
- i. the flare gas flow has a rate of about 50,000 scfd to about 30,000,000 scfd;
- ii. the flare gas flow has a composition, wherein the composition varies over time;
- b. compressing the flare gas flow to provide a compressed flare gas flow, wherein the compressed flare gas flow has a pressure of about 8 bar to about 60 bar;
- c. mixing the compressed flare gas flow with air to provide a rich fuel/air mixture;
- d. partially oxidizing the rich fuel/air mixture at a temperature of from about 700° C. to about 1,200° C. in a reformer to provide a reprocessed gas flow;
- wherein the reprocessed gas flow comprises a syngas having a syngas composition;
- e. passing the reprocessed gas flow through a deoxygenation reactor, whereby any excess oxygen is removed from the reprocessed gas flow, thereby providing a deoxygenated reprocessed gas flow;
- f. removing water from the deoxygenated reprocessed gas flow to thereby provided a syngas flow;
- g. controlling the pressure and the temperature of the syngas flow to provide a predetermined synthesis temperature and synthesis pressure of the syngas flow;
- h. flowing the syngas flow at the predetermined synthesis temperature and synthesis pressure into a synthesis unit;
- i. converting the syngas flow in the synthesis unit to thereby provide a first product stream comprising methanol;
- and,
- j. removing a material from the first product stream, the material comprising hydrogen;
- to thereby provide a second product stream;
- wherein the second product stream comprises at least about 80% methanol, and is thereby at least about 80% pure.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, comprising controlling the partial oxidation in the reformer;
- whereby the composition of the syngas in the reprocessed gas flow does not change with the varying composition of the flare gas flow.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the predetermined synthesis temperature is from about 200° C. to about 300° C.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the predetermined synthesis pressure is from about 30 bar to about 100 bar.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the predetermined synthesis temperature is from about 200° C. to about 300° C. and the predetermined synthesis pressure is from about 30 bar to about 100 bar.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein second product stream comprises at least 93% methanol and is thereby at least 93% pure.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein second product stream comprises from 90% to 95% methanol and is thereby from 90% to 95% pure.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the reformer comprises an air-breathing reformer.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the reformer comprises one or more of a gas turbine engine, a combustion box, an internal combustion engine, an otto cycle reciprocating engine, a diesel cycle reciprocating engine.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the rich fuel/air mixture has a fuel/air equivalence ratio of from 1.1 to about 4.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the rich fuel/air mixture has a fuel/air equivalence ratio of from about 1.5 to about 3.0.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the rich fuel/air mixture has a fuel/air equivalence ratio of from about 1.5 to about 2.5.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein a ratio of H2 to CO in the syngas is from about 1.0 to about 2.0.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein a ratio of H2 to CO in the syngas is from 0.8 to 2.5.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein a ratio of H2 to CO in the syngas is from about 2 to about 3.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein a ratio of H2 to CO in the syngas is from 1.1-2.5.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein a ratio of H2 to CO is less than 3.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein a ratio of H2 to CO is less than 2.5.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the reformer is a reciprocating engine;
- and the reciprocating engine has one, more than one, or all of:
- a. a compression ratio in the range of about 8:1 to about 17:1;
- b. an inlet manifold air temperature of ambient temperature to about 300° C.;
- c. an inlet manifold air pressure of ambient to about 5 bar;
- d. a spark timing between TDC and 50 degrees before TDC;
- and,
- e. an engine speed from about 1,500 rpm to about 8,000 rpm.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the reformer is selected from the group consisting of a two-stroke reciprocating engine and a four-stroke reciprocating engine.
The methods of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the reformer is a gas turbine assembly;
- and the gas turbine assembly has one, more than one, or all of:
- a. a first partial oxidation combustor;
- b. a two-stage combustion process;
- c. a gas turbine combustor;
- and,
- d. a combustion cycle time of from 5 to 50 milliseconds.
A continuous method of converting a flare gas to methanol, the method comprises:
- a. receiving a flare gas flow from a source, wherein the flare gas flow has a rate of flow;
- b. receiving an air flow from an intake;
- c. mixing the flare gas flow with air flow to provide a fuel/air mixture;
- wherein the fuel/air mixture defines a starting specific entropy;
- d. flowing the fuel/air mixture, having a pressure of about 8 bar to 60 bar, into a reformer, partially oxidizing the rich fuel/air mixture at a temperature of from about 700° C. to about 1,200° C. in the reformer to provide a reprocessed gas flow;
- wherein the reprocessed gas flow comprises a syngas having a syngas composition;
- e. controlling the pressure and the temperature of the reprocessed gas flow to provide a predetermined synthesis temperature and a predetermined synthesis pressure of the syngas flow;
- f. converting the reprocessed gas flow in the synthesis unit at the predetermined synthesis temperature and synthesis pressure in a synthesis unit to thereby provide a first product stream comprising methanol;
- wherein the first product stream and an exhaust product stream thereby defining a final specific entropy;
- and,
- g. wherein the starting specific entropy and the final specific entropy are less than about 1 kJ/kg ° C. of each other.
A method of converting a flare gas to an end product, the method comprises:
- a. receiving a flare gas from a source;
- b. forming a mixture of the flare gas and an oxygen source, wherein the oxygen source comprises air, thereby defining a fuel/air mixture;
- wherein the fuel/air mixture defines a starting specific entropy;
- c. partially oxidizing the fuel/air mixture at a predetermined reformer temperature;
- thereby providing a reprocessed gas flow comprises a syngas having a syngas composition;
- d. converting the reprocessed gas flow in a synthesis unit to thereby provide a first product stream comprising an end product;
- wherein the first product stream and an exhaust product stream thereby defining a final specific entropy;
- and,
- e. wherein the starting specific entropy and the final specific entropy are less than about 1 kJ/kg ° C. of each other.
The method of any of the forgoing claims, wherein a byproduct is selectively removed from the synthesis unit in situ.
The method of any of the forgoing claims, wherein a byproduct is selectively removed from the synthesis unit by a liquid or gaseous sweep.
The method of any of the forgoing claim, wherein the end product is selectively removed from the synthesis unit in situ.
The method of any of the forgoing claim, wherein the end product is selectively removed from the synthesis unit by a liquid or gaseous sweep.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the source of the flare has a composition as set out in Tables 1 and 2.
The method of any of the foregoing claims, wherein the source of the flare has a varying composition, wherein the varying composition is within the range of compositions set out in Tables 1 and 2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.