Sulphur-assisted carbon capture and utilization (CCU) methods and systems

#This application claims priority to International Application No. PCT/CA2016/050235, filed Mar. 4, 2016, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

#This invention generally relates to carbon capture and utilization (CCU) and, more particularly, to methods and systems for the sustainable production of hydrogen and electricity for the purpose of carbon capture and utilization (CCU).

#The unrelenting rise in coal use without deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) is fundamentally incompatible with climate change objectives. The world faces an unabated global demand for energy, both for livelihood and for pure economic growth, as well as an existing, sizeable, carbon-intense infrastructure. There is no rational near-term energy future that does not involve continued use of fossil fuel. Maintaining coal-fired power generation would make practical sense if control of carbon dioxide (CO2) could be made affordable. Current CCS technologies will not only increase capital costs but also impose significant performance penalties, challenging the competitiveness of coal power generation. Furthermore, many locations worldwide lack suitable geology for CO2 storage, one of several factors expected to constrain CCS deployment.

#Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in combination with the appended drawings, in which:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic of an HES as a CCS hub in accordance with the prior art.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic of a prior-art HES which may be flexibly located either onshore and/or on vessels conveying the CO2 or COS to an offshore storage.

#Disclosed below are exemplary embodiments of systems and methods for the sustainable generation of electric energy and hydrogen.

#By way of overview, FIG. 3 schematically presents a system that includes a converter for receiving a carbon disulphide and flue gas containing carbon dioxide to be captured from the flue gas by conversion to carbonyl sulphide, a separator for receiving a flue gas and carbonyl sulphide and separating the carbonyl sulphide from the flue gas, a sulphur and carbon dioxide recovery unit for receiving the carbonyl sulphide and sulphur dioxide, a sulphur-fueled power plant for combusting sulphur to generate sulphur dioxide and electric power, a hydrogen generation facility that uses the electric power to generate hydrogen that is supplied to a carbon utilization facility. The system may include a condenser (not show) for receiving and separating carbon dioxide and carbonyl sulphide and for delivering the carbon dioxide to the carbon utilization facility while returning the carbonyl sulphide to the sulphur and carbonyl sulphide recovery unit. The function and role of each of these components of the system will be further described below.

#Also by way of overview, the hydrogen thermochemical sulphur process (HTS) depicted in FIG. 5 represents an improvement over the cycle disclosed in FIG. 4. This will also be elaborated below in greater detail.