Back to results
US 2026/0312104 A1Published application
Co2 capture and hydrogen recovery from fuel cell anode off gas
AssigneeUop LLC
InventorBradley Russell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Processes for CO2 capture in fuel cell applications are described. The processes involve the use of pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology for CO2 capture. The residue gas from the CO2 PSA, which comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and small amounts of nitrogen, can be recycled to the anode. Alternatively, hydrogen can be recovered directly from the residue gas using an H2 PSA unit, and recycling the H2 PSA tail gas, which comprises an enriched CO/methane stream, to the anode.
Claims20
A process for CO2 capture from a fuel cell off gas stream comprising:
- introducing an anode feed gas stream to an anode of a fuel cell and a cathode feed stream to a cathode of the fuel cell, wherein the anode feed gas stream comprises one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water vapor, and a hydrocarbon, and the cathode feed stream comprises oxygen, or oxygen and CO2, the fuel cell generating electricity and producing an anode off gas stream comprising CO2 and one or more of hydrogen, CO, methane, water, and nitrogen;
- cooling the anode off gas stream;
- compressing the cooled anode off gas stream in a compressor to form a compressed cooled anode off gas stream;
- separating the compressed cooled anode off gas stream in a CO2 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system into a residue gas stream comprising CO, hydrogen, and methane and a tail gas stream comprising CO2;
- introducing at least a portion of the CO, the hydrogen, and the methane from the residue gas stream into the anode;
- and
- recovering CO2 from the tail gas stream as a CO2 product stream.
4 more elements
A process for CO2 capture from a fuel cell off gas stream comprising:
- introducing an anode feed gas stream to an anode of a fuel cell and a cathode feed stream to a cathode of the fuel cell, wherein the anode feed gas stream comprises one or more of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, water vapor, and a hydrocarbon, and the cathode feed stream comprises oxygen, or oxygen and CO2, the fuel cell generating electricity and producing an anode off gas stream comprising CO2 and one or more of hydrogen, CO, methane, water, and nitrogen, wherein fuel cell comprises a solid oxide fuel cell or a carbonate fuel cell or both;
- cooling the anode off gas stream;
- compressing the cooled anode off gas stream in a compressor to form a compressed cooled anode off gas stream;
- separating the compressed cooled anode off gas stream in a CO2 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system into a residue gas stream comprising CO, hydrogen, and methane and a tail gas stream comprising CO2;
- introducing at least a portion of the CO, the hydrogen, and the methane from the residue gas stream into the anode;
- compressing the tail gas stream forming a compressed tail gas stream;
- dividing the compressed tail gas stream into a first portion and a second portion;
- recycling the first portion of the compressed tail gas stream to the CO2 PSA system;
- and
- recovering the CO2 from the second portion of the compressed tail gas stream.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.