Comprehensive system for utility load leveling, hydrogen production, stack gas cleanup, greenhouse gas abatement, and methanol synthesis

A comprehensive energy system, comprising:

• a utility plant arranged to process fossil fuel, combustion air and cooling water, provided as inputs, to produce base load electric power, off-peak electric power, SO.sub.2 -containing stack gas, and process heat as outputs, and to accept as an input for distribution, on-peak electric power;
• a Br.sub.2 -methane unit arranged to receive as inputs, process heat from said utility plant, off-peak power from said utility plant, and CH.sub.4 to react with Br.sub.2, to produce said on-peak power for input to said utility plant, solid carbon, and HBr, and wherein the HBr is further electrolyzed to produce H.sub.2 and Br.sub.2 ;
• a CO.sub.2 recovery and methanol synthesis unit arranged to receive as inputs stack gas from said utility plant, after cleaning of SO.sub.2 from that stack gas, process heat from said utility plant, H.sub.2 from said Br.sub.2 -methane unit and electric power from said utility plant, to produce methanol as an output;
• and
• a Bunsen reactor arranged to receive as inputs process heat from said utility plant, SO.sub.2 -containing stack gas from said utility plant, Br.sub.2 from said Br.sub.2 -methane unit, and electric power from said utility plant, to produce HBr provided to said Br.sub.2 -methane unit, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, and CO.sub.2 -containing stack gas, depleted of SO.sub.2 and provided as input to said CO.sub.2 recovery and methanol synthesis unit.

A comprehensive method for utility load-leveling, hydrogen production, stack gas clean-up, greenhouse gas abatement, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 production and methanol synthesis, comprising:

• processing in a utility plant fossil fuel, combustion air and cooling water, provided as inputs, to produce base load electric power, off-peak electric power, SO.sub.2 -containing stack gas, and process heat as outputs, and to accept as an input for distribution, on-peak electric power;
• receiving in a Br.sub.2 -steam-methane unit as inputs water, process heat from said utility plant, off-peak power from said utility plant and HBr, to produce said on-peak power for input to said utility plant, H.sub.2, O.sub.2 and Br.sub.2 ;
• receiving in a CO.sub.2 recovery and methanol synthesis unit as inputs stack gas from said utility plant, after cleaning of SO.sub.2 from that stack gas, process heat from said utility plant, H.sub.2 from said Br.sub.2 -steam-methane unit and electric power from said utility plant, to produce methanol as an output;
• and
• receiving in a Bunsen reactor as inputs process heat from said utility plant, SO.sub.2 -containing stack gas from said utility plant, Br.sub.2 from said Br.sub.2 -steam-methane unit, and electric power from said utility plant, to produce HBr provided as input to said Br.sub.2 -steam-methane unit, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, and CO.sub.2 -containing stack gas, depleted of SO.sub.2 and provided as input to said CO.sub.2 recovery and methanol synthesis unit.

A comprehensive method for utility load-leveling, hydrogen production, stack gas clean-up, greenhouse gas abatement, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 production and methanol synthesis, comprising:

• processing in a utility plant fossil fuel, combustion air and cooling water, provided as inputs, to produce base load electric power, off-peak electric power, SO.sub.2 -containing stack gas, and process heat as outputs, and to accept as an input for distribution, on-peak electric power;
• receiving in a Br.sub.2 -methane unit as inputs, process heat from said utility plant, off-peak power from said utility plant, and CH.sub.4 to react with Br.sub.2, to produce said on-peak power for input to said utility plant, solid carbon, and HBr, and wherein the HBr is further electrolyzed to produce H.sub.2 and Br.sub.2 ;
• receiving in a CO.sub.2 recovery and methanol synthesis unit as inputs stack gas from said utility plant, after cleaning of SO.sub.2 from that stack gas, process heat from said utility plant, H.sub.2 from said Br.sub.2 -methane unit and electric power from said utility plant, to produce methanol as an output;
• and
• receiving in a Bunsen reactor as inputs process heat from said utility plant, SO.sub.2 -containing stack gas from said utility plant, Br.sub.2 from said Br.sub.2 -methane unit, and electric power from said utility plant, to produce HBr provided to said Br.sub.2 -methane unit, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, and CO.sub.2 -containing stack gas, depleted of SO.sub.2 and provided as input to said CO.sub.2 recovery and methanol synthesis unit.