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US 8,220,248 B2Granted
Power generation process with partial recycle of carbon dioxide
AssigneeMembrane Technology and Research, Inc.
InventorsJohannes G. Wijmans, Timothy C. Merkel, Richard W. Baker, Xiaotong Wei
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a power generation process in which a portion of the carbon dioxide generated by gaseous fuel combustion is recycled back to the power generation process, either pre-combustion, post-combustion, or both. The power generation process of the invention may be a combined cycle process or a traditional power generation process. The process utilizes sweep-based membrane separation.
Claims20
A process for controlling carbon dioxide exhaust from combustion of a gaseous fuel, comprising:
- (a) performing a power generation process, comprising
- (i) performing a combustion step by combusting a mixture comprising a gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas, thereby generating a combustor exhaust stream comprising carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and
- (ii) routing the combustor exhaust stream as at least a portion of a working gas stream to a gas turbine, thereby generating electrical power and creating a turbine exhaust stream;
- (b) routing a first portion of the turbine exhaust stream back to the power generation process as a recycle gas stream;
- (c) routing a second portion of the turbine exhaust stream to a membrane-based carbon dioxide capture step, wherein the capture step comprises
- (i) providing a first membrane having a first feed side and a first permeate side, and being selectively permeable to carbon dioxide over nitrogen and to carbon dioxide over oxygen,
- (ii) passing the second portion of the turbine exhaust stream across the first feed side,
- (iii) withdrawing from the first permeate side a partially concentrated carbon dioxide product stream,
- (iv) withdrawing from the first feed side a carbon dioxide-depleted stream
- (d) routing the carbon dioxide-depleted stream to a sweep-based membrane separation step, wherein the sweep-based membrane separation step comprises
- (i) providing a second membrane having a second feed side and a second permeate side, and being selectively permeable to carbon dioxide over nitrogen and to carbon dioxide over oxygen,
- (ii) passing a feed gas comprising the carbon dioxide-depleted stream across the second feed side,
- (iii) passing air, oxygen-enriched air, or oxygen as a sweep stream across the second permeate side,
- (iv) withdrawing from the second feed side a stream that is depleted in carbon dioxide compared to the feed gas,
- (v) withdrawing from the second permeate side a permeate stream comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide;
- and
- (e) passing the permeate stream back to the power generation process.
14 more elements
A process for controlling carbon dioxide exhaust from combustion of a gaseous fuel, comprising:
- (a) performing a combined cycle power generation process, comprising
- (i) performing a combustion step by combusting a mixture comprising a gaseous fuel and an oxygen-containing gas, thereby generating a combustor exhaust stream comprising carbon dioxide and nitrogen,
- (ii) routing the combustor exhaust stream as at least a portion of a working gas stream to a gas turbine, thereby generating electrical power and creating a turbine exhaust stream,
- (iii) routing at least a portion of the turbine exhaust stream to a boiler, thereby generating steam and a creating a boiler exhaust stream, and
- (iv) routing the steam to a steam turbine, thereby generating additional electrical power;
- (b) routing a first portion of the boiler exhaust stream back to the power generation process as a recycle gas stream;
- (c) routing a second portion of the boiler exhaust stream to a membrane-based carbon dioxide capture step, wherein the capture step comprises
- (i) providing a first membrane having a first feed side and a first permeate side, and being selectively permeable to carbon dioxide over nitrogen and to carbon dioxide over oxygen,
- (ii) passing the second portion of the boiler exhaust stream across the first feed side,
- (iii) withdrawing from the first permeate side a partially concentrated carbon dioxide product stream,
- (iv) withdrawing from the first feed side a carbon dioxide-depleted stream
- (d) routing the carbon dioxide-depleted stream to a sweep-based membrane separation step, wherein the sweep-based membrane separation step comprises
- (i) providing a second membrane having a second feed side and a second permeate side, and being selectively permeable to carbon dioxide over nitrogen and to carbon dioxide over oxygen,
- (ii) passing a feed gas comprising the carbon dioxide-depleted stream across the second feed side,
- (iii) passing air, oxygen-enriched air, or oxygen as a sweep stream across the second permeate side,
- (iv) withdrawing from the second feed side a stream that is depleted in carbon dioxide compared to the feed gas,
- (v) withdrawing from the second permeate side a permeate stream comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide;
- and
- (e) passing the permeate stream back to the power generation process.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.