Conversion of raw carbonaceous fuels
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorJohn F. Cooper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Three configurations for an electrochemical cell are utilized to generate electric power from the reaction of oxygen or air with porous plates or particulates of carbon, arranged such that waste heat from the electrochemical cells is allowed to flow upwards through a storage chamber or port containing raw carbonaceous fuel. These configurations allow combining the separate processes of devolatilization, pyrolysis and electrochemical conversion of carbon to electric power into a single unit process, fed with raw fuel and exhausting high BTU gases, electric power, and substantially pure CO2 during operation.
Claims15
A process comprising:
- providing a high temperature molten salt electrolytic cell;
- providing a raw carbonaceous feed material;
- thermally decomposing said raw carbonaceous feed material to a carbon fuel;
- converting said carbon fuel in said electrolytic cell to electric energy and heat;
- wherein said heat is transferred to said raw carbonaceous feed material for said thermal decomposition or to a carbon fuel.
A process comprising:
- providing at least a first and second high temperature molten salt electrolytic cell;
- providing a raw carbonaceous feed material to said first cell and to said second cell;
- thermally decomposing said raw carbonaceous feed material to produce a carbon fuel;
- converting said carbon fuel to electric energy and heat in said first cell;
- serially transferring at least a portion of said electric energy from said first cell to said second cell;
- and
- wherein said heat is used for said thermal decomposition in said first cell.
A process comprising:
- providing a high temperature molten salt electrolytic cell in a first compartment;
- providing a raw carbonaceous feed material in a second compartment located above said first compartment;
- thermally decomposing said raw carbonaceous feed material to a carbon fuel in said second compartment;
- converting said carbon fuel in said electrolytic cell to electric energy and heat;
- wherein said heat is transferred to said raw carbonaceous feed material for said thermal decomposition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.