Method for the production of hydrogen and applications thereof
AssigneeAlchemix Corporation
InventorsJames Kelly Kindig, Boyd R. Davis, Robert R. Odle, Thomas E. Weyand
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the production of hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas is formed by steam reduction using a metal/metal oxide couple to remove oxygen from water. Steam is contacted with a molten metal mixture including a first reactive metal such as iron dissolved in a diluent metal such as tin. The reactive metal oxidizes to a metal oxide, forming a hydrogen gas and the metal oxide can then be reduced back to the metal for further production of hydrogen without substantial movement of the metal or metal oxide to a second reactor.
Claims87
A method for the production of a hydrogen-containing gas stream, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating steam;
- b) contacting said steam with a molten metal mixture in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising at least about 20 weight percent iron dissolved in a first diluent metal, said first diluent metal being tin and wherein at least a portion of said iron is oxidized to an iron oxide and at least a portion of said steam is reduced to form hydrogen;
- and
- c) extracting a hydrogen-containing gas stream from said reactor.
A method for the production of a hydrogen-containing gas stream, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating steam;
- b) contacting said steam with a molten metal mixture in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising a first reactive metal dissolved in a first diluent metal, wherein said molten metal mixture is at a temperature of at least about 1100° C. and wherein at least a portion of said first reactive metal is oxidized to a first metal oxide and at least a portion of said steam is reduced to form hydrogen;
- and
- c) extracting said hydrogen-containing gas stream from said reactor.
A method for the production of hydrogen-containing gas stream, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating steam;
- b) contacting said steam with a molten metal mixture in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising a first reactive metal dissolved in a first diluent metal and wherein reactive-metal containing particles are dispersed in said molten metal mixture and at least a portion of said first reactive metal dissolved in said diluent metal is oxidized to a first metal oxide and at least a portion of said steam is reduced to form hydrogen;
- and
- c) extracting said hydrogen-containing gas stream from said reactor,
- wherein said reactive-metal containing particles at least partially dissolve into said molten metal mixture as said first reactive metal is oxidized.
A method for the production of a hydrogen-containing gas stream, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating steam;
- b) contacting said steam with a molten metal mixture in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising molten iron dissolved in molten tin wherein said steam reacts with said molten iron to form hydrogen and iron oxide;
- and
- c) extracting a hydrogen-containing gas stream from said reactor.
A method for the production of hydrogen gas, comprising the steps of:
- a) contacting steam with a molten metal mixture in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising a first molten reactive metal dissolved in a first molten diluent metal to oxidize at least a portion of said first reactive metal to a first metal oxide and form a hydrogen-containing gas stream;
- b) extracting said hydrogen-containing gas stream;
- and
- c) reducing said first metal oxide within said reactor back to said first reactive metal by injecting particulate carbon and an oxygen-containing gas into said reactor.
A method for the production of a hydrogen-containing gas stream, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating steam;
- b) injecting said steam into a molten metal mixture contained in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising molten iron dissolved in molten tin under conditions sufficient to form a hydrogen-containing gas stream and a slag layer comprising iron oxide on top of said molten metal mixture;
- c) extracting said hydrogen-containing gas stream from said reactor;
- d) ceasing said injection of steam;
- and
- e) injecting a particulate carbon source and an oxygen-containing gas into said reactor to reduce said iron oxide to iron metal.
A method for the production of a hydrogen-containing gas stream, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating steam;
- b) injecting said steam into a molten metal mixture contained in a reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising a first molten metal dissolved in a second molten metal, wherein said steam reacts with said first molten metal to form hydrogen and a first metal oxide having a density that is at least about 10 percent less than said molten metal mixture, whereby said first metal oxide rises in said molten metal mixture to a slag layer disposed above said molten metal mixture;
- and
- c) extracting a hydrogen-containing gas from said reactor.
A method for the treatment of coal, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating a hydrogen-containing gas stream by a method comprising the steps of:
- i) generating steam;
- ii) injecting said steam into a molten metal mixture contained in a first reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising molten iron dissolved in molten tin under conditions sufficient to oxidize a portion of said molten iron to iron oxide and form a hydrogen-containing gas stream;
- and
- iii) extracting said hydrogen-containing gas stream from said first reactor;
- b) contacting said hydrogen-containing gas stream with particulate coal in a second reactor at a temperature of at least about 700° C.;
- and
- c) extracting a methane-containing gas stream from said second reactor.
A method for the production of ammonia, comprising the steps of:
- a) generating a hydrogen-containing gas stream by a method comprising the steps of:
- i) generating steam;
- ii) injecting said steam into a molten metal mixture contained in a first reactor, said molten metal mixture comprising molten iron dissolved in molten tin under conditions sufficient to oxidize a portion of said molten iron to iron oxide form a hydrogen-containing gas stream;
- and
- iii) extracting said hydrogen-containing gas stream from said first reactor;
- and
- b) contacting said hydrogen-containing gas stream with a nitrogen-containing gas stream to form ammonia.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.