Recuperative combustion system

Abstract

The methods and systems described herein relate to a recuperative combustion system that recuperates energy from fuel combustion that would otherwise be lost. The recuperative combustion system minimizes or eliminates the need for an air separator unit through the use of a clean water splitter section, consisting of a thermochemical cycle or high-temperature electrolysis. Water is split into its component hydrogen and oxygen, primarily with process heat from the combustion process. The oxygen produced by the water splitter provides oxygen necessary for oxy-fuel combustion, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for the power intensive air separator unit and / or external oxygen source, significantly increasing the efficiency of the oxy-fuel combustion cycle. Hydrogen produced by the water splitter may be used for a variety of industrial uses, or combined with carbon dioxide (captured from the flue gases produced by said combustion process) to produce methanol. Methanol can further be refined in a methanol to gasoline reactor to produce dimethyl ether, olefins or high grade gasoline. Described herein are methods and systems that 1) increase oxy-fuel combustion efficiency, 2) produce hydrogen for a suite of industrial / energy uses, and 3) capture carbon dioxide and convert it to high value hydrocarbons.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 274,745, filed Aug. 20, 2009, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 345,541, filed May 17, 2010. The entire contents of these patent applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002]The methods and systems described herein relate to a recuperative combustion system that recuperates energy from fuel combustion that would otherwise be lost. The recuperative combustion system minimizes or eliminates the need for an air separator unit through the use of a clean water splitter section, consisting of a thermochemical cycle or high-temperature electrolysis. Water is split into its component hydrogen and oxygen, primarily with process heat from the combustion process. The oxygen produced by the water splitter provides oxygen necessary for oxy-fuel combustion, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for the power intensive air separator unit and / or extern...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]reducing or eliminating the amount of oxygen that the combustion chamber requires from an air separator unit and / or external oxygen supply, in proportion to the amount of oxygen received from the water splitter.

Problems solved by technology

While carbon capture and sequestration results in a reduction in atmospheric inputs of carbon from industrial sources, it will require large-scale construction of a pipeline distribution and storage system, which will be extremely costly to build.

Additionally, the effectiveness of long-term subterranean CO2 storage on a scale of hundreds to thousands of years (required for carbon dioxide mineralization) is presently unproven.

Images