# US 5,707,762 A · Modular power plant for the generation of electrical energy from solar energy

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- Number: US 5,707,762 A
- Document ID: US5707762A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/602,762
- Filed: 1996-02-23
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1993-08-24
- Assignees: Hannelore Binsmaier Nee Gallin-Ast
- Inventors: Wolf Johnssen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5707762A

## CPC

- H01M 8/0643: {Gasification of solid fuel}
- H01M 2008/147: {Fuel cells with molten carbonates}
- H01M 2300/0008: Phosphoric acid-based
- H01M 2300/0051: Carbonates
- H01M 2300/0082: Organic polymers
- Y02E 10/46: Conversion of thermal power into mechanical power, e.g. Rankine, Stirling or solar thermal engines
- Y02E 20/18: Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A modular plant for the generation of electrical energy from solar energy. The principle structure consists of a conversion module (1) for the conversion of solar energy into biological raw material, a gasification module (2) in the form reactor for the gasification of biological raw material, and a fuel cell module (3) for the conversion of gas into electricity using fuel cell technology. The conversion module (1) contains an aggregate (4) for harvesting biological raw material and a processing aggregate (5) for processing biological raw material into a gasification product. The gasification module (2) is connected to the processing aggregate (5) via a supply unit (6). The fuel cell module is connected to the gasification module for cleaning of the fuel gas by a device (8). The performance of the gasification and fuel cell module has been designed in relation to the system performance, so that part of the fuel gas can be used for the water vapour production (12) and a further part and/or the waste heat of the modular power plant for the drying of harvested biological raw material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A modular power plant of the generation of electrical energy from solar energy, said power plant comprising:
a conversion module for producing a biological raw material from solar energy and comprising:
an agricultural plot cultivated with low-sulphur plants for production of said raw material,
a harvesting unit displaceable over said plot for harvesting said plants,
at least one further unit selected from a chopper and a pelletizer for harvested plants and receiving harvested plants from said harvesting unit for forming said raw material from the harvested plants,
means for drying said raw material with at least one of a combustion of a fuel gas and waste heat from the power plant, and
storage means receiving said raw material for compensating variations in harvested quantities of the raw material due to vegetation cycles;
an allothermic gasification module connected to said conversion module for receiving said raw material from said conversion module and transforming the received raw material into a fuel gas, said allothermic gasification module comprising:
a gasification reactor supplied with externally produced heat and receiving said raw material from said conversion module and water vapor and producing said fuel gas by an allothermic gasification at a temperature and for a residence time sufficient to suppress tar formation in said reactor and apparatus of said plant downstream from said reactor,
a charging device connected said storage means with said reactor for supplying said raw material thereto, and
a gas cleaner connected to said gasification reactor for cleaning said fuel gas; and
a fuel cell module comprising at least one fuel cell and receiving said fuel gas from said gas cleaner and producing electrical energy therefrom, said allothermic gasification module and said fuel cell module being performance matched so that a portion of said fuel gas is available to produce said water vapor and another portion of said fuel gas is available for optional combustion to dry said raw material, the plot being dimensioned to supply the raw material for the output performance of said fuel cell module and whereby at least principal elements of said modules are prefabricated at a central location and transportable to a situs of the plant in assembled and disassembled state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The modular power plant defined in claim 1 wherein said gasification module has an oxygen/raw material ratio and temperature for producing said fuel gas substantially free from nitrogen oxides.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The modular power plant defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel cell module has at least one fuel cell with a phosphoric acid electrolyte.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The modular power plant defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel cell module has at least one fuel cell with a carbonate melt electrolyte.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The modular power plant defined in claim 1 wherein said fuel cell module has at least one proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The modular power plant defined in claim 1, further comprising a water vapor producing module heated by a portion of said fuel gas.