Method for producing a synthetic material, in particular a synthetic fuel or raw material, an associated device and applications for said method

Abstract

A method and a device of producing a synthetic material are provided. Water (H20) is converted into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) using a high-temperature electrolysis, water vapor (H20D) being formed during the high-temperature electrolysis. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is added to the hydrogen (H2) and water vapor (H2OD). The mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2) and water vapor (H2OD) is subjected to a catalytic reaction, wherein, through the catalytic reaction, the hydrogen (H2), the water vapor (H2OD) and the carbon dioxide (CO2) are transformed into a synthetic gas (H2 / CO / CO2 / H2O / CH4). Exothermic processes are executed during the transforming into the synthetic gas.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is the US National Stage of International Application No. PCT / EP2009 / 064090 filed Oct. 26, 2009, and claims the benefit thereof. The International Application claims the benefits of German Application No. 10 2008 053 334.3 DE filed Oct. 27, 2008. All of the applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.FIELD OF INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to a method for producing a synthetic material, in particular a synthetic fuel or raw material. The invention also relates to the associated device for carrying out the method and to applications of this device in different sectors of industry.[0003]The invention relates both to the production of synthetic fuels (synfuel) and to the production of synthetic raw materials for the chemical industry. Such production methods require energy on the one hand and also, as a basis for the material, hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2) and carbon (C). In such cases wind or othe...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012]The particular advantage of the invention is that, especially with the use of surplus power generated in an environmentally-friendly way, i.e. without a separate CO2 burden, and recycling of CO2 otherwise present as waste gas, the overall CO2 balance of the inventively-created synthetic materials can be improved.

[0013]The invention makes use in a particular way of the chemistry of water electrolysis. The following chemical processes take place in such chemistry:2H2O.2H2+O2  (1)

[0014]The electrical energy is employed for electrolytic decomposition of the water. This is followed by a catalytic reaction, similar to the standard method used in GTL conversion or the reversal of the steam reforming reaction (=methanation):4H2+CO2.CH4+2H2O  (2)

[0015]Carbon dioxide can be recycled from biogenic sources or separately from industrial waste gases in the catalytic process:(3n+1)H2+nCO2.CnH2n+2+2nH2O  (3)

[0016]The latter process products, as liquid hydrocarbons, are suitable raw materials for the chemical industry. Depending on how the catalytic process is conducted, functionalized hydrocarbons such as for example alcohols, carbonic acids, ketones, aldehydes, cyclic or aromatic compounds and many more can also be isolated.

[0017]These hydrocarbons can feature both aliphatic (straight-chain, branched) and also aromatic (also hetero and polyaromatic systems), saturated and (simple / multiple) unsaturated (e.g. olefinic, etc.) structures as well as possessing structure elements generally functionalized by heteroatoms (especially O, N, S, Halogen, Si), e.g. alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, carbonic acids, amines, amides, thioles, thiocarbonic acids, esters, amino acids, heteroaromatics and many more, as well as combinations of the number of functionalities which can be derived from the specified heteroatoms, in one product molecule.

Problems solved by technology

The changes in the crude oil price as well as in the natural gas price linked to it, stagnating oil production and the prospect of reserves becoming exhausted over the medium term reveal a shortage of these raw materials which is becoming ever greater, which is especially reflected in rising prices.

Apart from the above, an increase in chemical costs is also expected as the oil / gas price increases.

This produces competition between energy and raw material supply.

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