US 8,388,706 B2Granted

Method using solar energy, microwaves and plasmas to produce a liquid fuel and hydrogen from biomass or fossil coal

OwnerNicolas Ugolininventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A system uses thermal solar energy coupled with microwaves and plasma for producing carbon monoxide (CO) and dihydrogen (H2) from carbonated compounds (biomass, domestic waste, sludge from waste water, fossil coal), wherein the obtained gaseous mixture yields, amongst others, hydrocarbon fuels (olefins, paraffin), esters, and alcohols via a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. In a first step the carbonated compounds are roasted and pyrolized to produce char and dry coal, and a mixture of superheated gases containing CO2, steam, tars and non-condensable volatile materials. The method includes in a second step, and from the pyrolyis products (char or coal, gas mixture), generating a syngas substantially containing a mixture of carbon monoxide and dihydrogen, the mixture being used in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis units. After the Fischer-Tropsch step, the synthesis products are separated in a distillation column after heating in solar furnaces of mixed furnaces (solar/microwave).

Claims14

Dependent claims

Process of gasification of carbon-containing compounds in order to produce a syngas containing primarily CO and H2, wherein it includes:

A) a first step of torrefaction pyrolysis of the compounds, into char and pyrolysis gas, in a solar microwave reactor, caused by heating the compounds contained in said solar microwave reactor by synergistic thermal energy provided jointly by the heating of the walls of the reactor owing to the concentration by convergence or reflection of solar radiation at the surface of said walls, and by microwaves injected directly into the reactor and compounds, and
B) a second step of converting the char and pyrolysis gas, coming from the solar microwave reactor, primarily into CO and H2, by chemical oxidation-reduction reactions occurring in a cyclone reactor, in which said cyclone reactor enables the formation of a gaseous vortex driving and oxidizing the char particles, owing to the combustion of the pyrolysis gases or additional gas, the injection of heated gas or gas mixtures into the cyclone reactor, and the direct heating of the gases present in said reactor by microwaves injected directly into the cyclone reactor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.