Process and system for converting carbonaceous feedstocks into energy without greenhouse gas emissions
OwnerTerry R. Gallowayinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The process and system of the invention converts carbonaceous feedstock from fossil fuels and other combustible materials into electrical energy without the production of unwanted greenhouse emissions. The process and system uses a combination of a gasifier to convert the carbonaceous feedstock and a greenhouse gas stream into a synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen. One portion of the synthesis gas from the gasifier becomes electrochemically oxidized in an electricity-producing fuel cell into an exit gas comprising carbon dioxide and water. The latter is recycled back to the gasifier after the water is condensed out. The second portion of the synthesis gas from the gasifier is converted into useful hydrocarbon products.
Claims48
A process for convering carbonaceous feedstock into energy without the production of greenhouse gas emissions comprising:
- (a) converting a carbonaceous feedstock selected from the group consisting of coal, hydrocarbon oil, natural gas, petroleum coke, oil shale, carbonaceous-containing waste oil, carbonaceous-containing hazardous waste, carbonaceous-containing medical waste, and mixtures thereof and a greenhouse gas stream in a gasification unit to synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen;
- (b) electrochemically oxidizing at least a portion of said synthesis gas from said gasification unit in a first half-cell of a fuel cell to a first half-cell exit comprising carbon dioxide and water;
- (c) recovering the carbon dioxide from said first half-cell exit gas to serve as at least a portion of said greenhouse gas stream in step (a);
- and
- (d) electrochemically reducing an oxygen-containing gas in a second half-cell of said fuel cell completing the circuit and resulting in the production of electrical energy.
A system for converting carbonaceous feedstocks into energy without the production of greenhouse gas emissions which comprises:
- (a) a gasification unit having an inlet for a carbonaceous feedstock selected from the group consisting of coal, hydrocarbon oil, natural gas, petroleum coke, oil shale, carbonaceous-containing waste oil, carbonaceous-containing hazardous waste, carbonaceous-containing medical waste, and mixtures thereof and a greenhouse gas stream, a catalyst for converting the combined feedstock into synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and an outlet for the synthesis gas;
- (b) a fuel cell for the production of electrical energy comprising a first half-cell having an inlet in fluid communication with the synthesis gas and an anode for electrochemically oxidizing synthesis gas into a first half-cell exit gas of carbon dioxide and water, a second half-cell having a cathode for electrochemically reducing an oxygen-containing gas, and a membrane separating said first and second half cells that will not allow passage of components from the respective half-cells;
- and
- (c) a passage means for passing the carbon dioxide from said first half-cell to serve as at least a portion of the greenhouse gas stream for said gasification unit.
A process for converting carbonaceous feedstocks into energy without the production of greenhouse gas emissions comprising:
- (a) converting a carbonaceous-containing organic waste feedstock and a carbon dioxide gas stream in said reactor to synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a high temperature steam reforming reactor operating at temperatures in the range of about 400° and about 700° C.;
- (b) converting at least a portion of said synthesis gas from said reactor to methanol;
- (c) electrochemically oxidizing said methanol directly in a first half-cell of a fuel cell to a fist half-cell exit gas comprising carbon dioxide and water;
- (d) recovering the carbon dioxide from said first half-cell exit gas to serve as at least a portion of said carbon dioxide gas stream in step (a);
- and
- (e) electrochemically reducing an oxygen-containing gas in a second half-cell of said fuel cell resulting in the production of electrical energy.
A process for converting carbonaceous feedstocks into energy without the production of greenhouse gas emissions comprising:
- (a) converting a carbonaceous-containing organic waste feedstock and a carbon dioxide gas stream in said reactor to synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a high temperature steam reforming reactor operating at temperatures in the range of about 400° and about 700° C.;
- (b) converting at least a portion of said synthesis gas from said reactor to methanol;
- (c) electrochemically oxidizing said methanol directly in a first half-cell of a fuel cell to a first half-cell exit gas comprising carbon dioxide and water;
- (d) recovering the carbon dioxide from said first half-cell exit gas to serve as at least a portion of said carbon dioxide gas stream in step (a);
- and
- (e) electrochemically reducing an oxygen-containing gas in a second half-cell of said fuel cell resulting in the production of electrical energy.
A process for converting carbonaceous feedstocks into energy without the production of greenhouse gas emissions comprising:
- (a) converting a carbonaceous feedstock and a carbon dioxide gas stream in a gasification unit to synthesis gas comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen;
- (b) electrochemically oxidizing at least a portion of said synthesis gas from said gasification unit in a first half-cell of a solid oxide fuel cell to a first half-cell exit gas comprising carbon dioxide and water;
- (c) condensing water from said half-cell exit gas in a condenser and separating out the major portion of water from the carbon dioxide;
- (d) passing the carbon dioxide from said condenser to serve as at least a portion of said greenhouse gas stream in step (b);
- (e) recovering the carbon dioxide from said first half-cell exit gas to serve as at least a portion of said carbon dioxide gas steam in step (a);
- and
- (f) electrochemically reducing an oxygen-containing gas in a second half-cell of said fuel cell resulting in the production of electrical energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.