Method and system for decarbonizing a process involving combustion of hydrocarbon-based fuel

Abstract

Method and system for decarbonizing a process (e.g., an industrial process) involving a combustion apparatus are disclosed. The method includes fluidly coupling an electrolyzer (104) to combustion apparatus (e.g., 102, 202, 302) and supplying oxygen generated by the electrolyzer to the combustion apparatus, where the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus. One basic idea in connection with our disclosed embodiments is replacing air with oxygen produced from electrolysis of water and using carbon dioxide as a diluent effective to achieve a desired target combustion temperature for the process. The result of the combustion reaction of the hydrocarbon-based fuel with oxygen and carbon dioxide is a mixture of carbon dioxide and water, which can be readily processed to separate water from the carbon dioxide and produce a flow of any remaining carbon dioxide ready for compression and sequestration.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Disclosed embodiments relate generally to the field of decarbonization, and, more specifically, to method and system for decarbonization of a process involving combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel.BRIEF SUMMARY

[0002] In one aspect, a method for decarbonizing a process involving a combustion apparatus is disclosed. The method includes fluidly coupling an electrolyzer to the combustion apparatus; supplying oxygen generated by the electrolyzer to the combustion apparatus, where the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus. The method further includes supplying carbon dioxide to the combustion apparatus, where the cardon dioxide acts as a diluent for the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel.

[0003] In another aspect, a system for decarbonizing a process involving a combustion apparatus is disclosed. The system includes an electrolyzer fluidly coupled to the combustion apparatus, where oxygen generated by the electrolyzer is supplied to the combustion apparatus and the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus, and where carbon dioxide is supplied to the combustion apparatus as a diluent for the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] FIG. 1 is a block diagram representation showing one non-limiting example of a disclosed system.

[0005] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing further features that can be implemented in the system of FIG. 1.

[0006] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation showing another non-limiting example of a disclosed system.

[0007] FIG. 4 is a schematic representation showing yet another non-limiting example of a disclosed system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0008] Various processes (e.g., industrial processes) involve combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel and in turn generally involve undesirable emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Examples of hydrocarbon-based fuels include without limitation, fossil fuels, biofuels, synthetic fuels, etc. The present inventor has recognized a need to inhibit such emissions and proposes method and system that, in a cost-effective and reliable manner, are effective to inhibit such emissions. That is, method and system useful for cost-effective and reliable decarbonization of such processes. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, decarbonization comprises the strategic reduction of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.

[0009] Disclosed embodiments are equipped with an electrolyzer, which is an apparatus that generates hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis and is effective for separating hydrogen and oxygen molecules, which when in a bonded condition form water. The electrolyzer may be powered by a suitable electrical power source, such as a renewable-energy electrical power source, a non-renewable electrical power source or a combination of two or more of such electrical power sources that, for example, are effective to handle periods when the renewable-energy may not be available, such as during periods lacking appropriate wind conditions in case of a wind-based power source, or during periods lacking appropriate sun light conditions in case of a photovoltaic-based power source.

[0010] In disclosed embodiments, oxygen generated by the electrolyzer is supplied to a combustion apparatus, where the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus. Carbon dioxide is supplied to the combustion apparatus, where, in operation, the carbon dioxide functions as a diluent for the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel.

[0011] In disclosed embodiments, hydrogen generated by the electrolyzer can become an export in the global market and can offset costs that, for example, can be utilized to directly offset electricity costs and / or can be used in other industrial processes where hydrogen is involved, such as for ammonia production, etc.

[0012] In operation, disclosed embodiments are believed to offer various advantages, such as without limitation: 1) a relatively larger quantity of oxygen is produced by electrolysis compared to hydrogen, for example, for each 18 kg of water that undergoes electrolysis, approximately 16 kg of oxygen and 2 kg of hydrogen will be produced; 2) combustion byproducts include water and carbon dioxide, which can be readily separated without costly equipment; 3) hydrogen can be utilized in the global market and can offset costs for generating clean energy; 4) abundant fossil fuels, such as methane, can continue to be effectively used while abating carbon dioxide emissions; 5) for various distinct applications, it is feasible to adapt disclosed embodiments without costly modifications to meet the objectives of any given application of the various distinct applications; and 6) for example, in the context of steel production in a blast furnace, respective portions of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that may be necessary for reduction of, for example, iron ore to iron, can be directly injected into the process.

[0013] Before disclosed embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood that disclosed embodiments are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in this description or illustrated in the following drawings. Disclosed embodiments are capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0014] Various technologies that pertain to disclosed embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings, where like reference numerals represent like elements throughout. The drawings discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present disclosure in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present disclosure may be implemented in any suitably arranged apparatus. It is to be understood that functionality that is described as being carried out by certain system elements may be performed by multiple elements. Similarly, for instance, an element may be configured to perform functionality that is described as being carried out by multiple elements. The numerous innovative teachings of the present application will be described with reference to exemplary non-limiting embodiments.

[0015] It should be understood that the words or phrases used herein should be construed broadly, unless expressly limited in some examples. For example, the terms “including,”“having,” and “comprising,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation. The singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and / or, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. Furthermore, while multiple embodiments or constructions may be described herein, any features, methods, steps, components, etc. described with regard to one embodiment are equally applicable to other embodiments absent a specific statement to the contrary.

[0016] Also, although the terms “first”, “second”, “third” and so forth may be used herein to refer to various elements, information, functions, or acts, these elements, information, functions, or acts should not be limited by these terms. Rather these numeral adjectives are used to distinguish different elements, information, functions or acts from each other. For example, a first element, information, function, or act could be termed a second element, information, function, or act, and, similarly, a second element, information, function, or act could be termed a first element, information, function, or act, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0017] In addition, the term “adjacent to” may mean that an element is relatively near to but not in contact with a further element or that the element is in contact with the further portion, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise. Terms “about” or “substantially” or like terms are intended to cover variations in a value that are within normal industry manufacturing tolerances for that dimension. If no industry standard is available, a variation of twenty percent would fall within the meaning of these terms unless otherwise stated.

[0018] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that hardware and / or software depicted in connection with disclosed embodiments may vary for particular implementations.

[0019] The depicted examples are provided for the purpose of explanation only and are not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present disclosure. Also, those skilled in the art will recognize that, for simplicity and clarity, the full structure and operation of all data processing systems suitable for use with the present disclosure is not being depicted or described herein. Instead, only so much of a data processing system as is unique to the present disclosure or necessary for an understanding of the present disclosure is depicted and described. The remainder of the construction and operation of the data processing system may conform to any of the various current implementations and practices known in the art.

[0020] It is noted that while the instant disclosure includes a description in the context of a fully functional system and / or a series of acts, those skilled in the art will appreciate that at least portions of the mechanism of the present disclosure and / or described acts may be capable of being distributed in the form of computer / processor executable instructions (e.g., software / firmware applications) contained within a storage device that corresponds to a non-transitory machine-usable, computer-usable, or computer-readable medium in any of a variety of forms (e.g., flash memory, SSD, hard drive). The computer / processor executable instructions may include a routine, a sub-routine, programs, applications, modules, libraries, and / or the like. Further, it should be appreciated that computer / processor executable instructions may correspond to and / or may be generated from source code, byte code, runtime code, machine code, assembly, Java, JavaScript, Python, Rust, Swift, Go, C, C #, C++ or any other form of code that can be programmed / configured to cause at least one processor to carry out the acts and features described herein. Still further, results of the described / claimed processes or functions may be stored in a computer-readable medium, displayed on a display device, and / or the like.

[0021] It should be appreciated that acts associated with the above-described methodologies, features, and functions (other than any described manual acts) may be carried out by one or more data processing systems via operation of one or more of the processors. Thus, it is to be understood that when referring to a data processing system or control system such a system may be implemented across several data processing systems organized in a distributed system in communication with each other directly or via a network.

[0022] As used herein a processor or processor module, controller etc., corresponds to any electronic device that is configured via hardware circuits, software, and / or firmware to process data. For example, processors, controllers, etc., described herein may correspond to one or more (or a combination) of a microprocessor, CPU, or any other integrated circuit (IC) or other type of circuit that is capable of processing data in a data processing system. As discuss previously, the processor that is described or claimed as being configured to carry out a particular described / claimed process or function may correspond to a CPU that executes computer / processor executable instructions stored in a memory in the form of software to carry out such a described / claimed process or function. However, it should also be appreciated that such a processor may correspond to an IC that is hardwired with processing circuitry (e.g., an FPGA or ASIC IC) to carry out such a described / claimed process or function. Also, it should be understood, that reference to a processor may include multiple physical processors or cores that are configured to carry out the functions described herein. In addition, it should be appreciated that a data processing system and / or a processor may correspond to a controller that is operably configured to control at least one operation including a programable logic controller (PLC).

[0023] In addition, it should also be understood that a processor or processor module, controller etc., that is described or claimed as being configured to carry out a particular described / claimed process or function may correspond to the combination of the processor with the executable instructions (e.g., software / firmware applications) loaded / installed into the described memory (volatile and / or non-volatile), which are currently being executed and / or are available to be executed by the processor to cause the processor to carry out the described / claimed process or function. Thus, a processor that is powered off or is executing other software, but has the described software loaded / stored in a storage device in operative connection therewith (such as in a flash memory, SSD, or hard drive) in a manner that is available to be executed by the processor (when started by a user, hardware and / or other software), may also correspond to the described / claimed processor that is operably configured to carry out the particular processes and functions described / claimed herein.

[0024] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that hardware and software depicted in connection with disclosed embodiments may vary for particular implementations. The depicted examples are provided for the purpose of explanation only and are not meant to imply architectural limitations with respect to the present disclosure. Also, those skilled in the art will recognize that, for simplicity and clarity, the full structure and operation of all data processing systems suitable for use with the present disclosure is not being depicted or described herein. Instead, only so much of a data processing system as is unique to the present disclosure or necessary for an understanding of the present disclosure is depicted and described. The remainder of the construction and operation of the data processing system may conform to any of the various current implementations and practices known in the art.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a block diagram representation showing one non-limiting example of a disclosed system 100. In one aspect, a method for decarbonizing a process (e.g., an industrial process) involving a combustion apparatus 102 is disclosed. The method includes fluidly coupling an electrolyzer 104 to combustion apparatus 102 and supplying oxygen (O2) generated by the electrolyzer to combustion apparatus 102, where the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel in combustion apparatus 102. The method further includes supplying carbon dioxide to combustion apparatus 102, where the cardon dioxide acts as a diluent for the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel. The carbon dioxide is generally obtained from an exhaust of combustion apparatus 102, after appropriate separation of water from the carbon dioxide conveyed through such exhaust.

[0026] The method further includes separating byproducts of the combustion that occurs in combustion apparatus 102. The byproducts, for example, include water and carbon dioxide. In one example embodiment, the foregoing separating action is implemented by way of a separator 106 (e.g., separator / condenser) arranged to separate the foregoing byproducts of the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel in combustion apparatus 102. It is contemplated that this separating action involving separator 106 would apply regardless of the specific modality of the combustion apparatus. For the sake of simplicity of illustration, separator 106 is not illustrated in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4.

[0027] In one example embodiment, the method includes feeding back to combustion apparatus 102 at least a portion of the carbon dioxide from separator 106. In one example embodiment, the feeding back of the portion of the carbon dioxide is carried out by way of a loop 108 (e.g., feedback loop). It will be appreciated that the carbon dioxide can be introduced in multiple ways into combustion apparatus 102. For example, the carbon dioxide need not be introduced into combustion apparatus 102 by way of co-mixing with the oxygen, as shown in the examples illustrated in the figures, since in certain applications the carbon dioxide could be directly introduced into combustion apparatus without involving such co-mixing.

[0028] In disclosed embodiments, the amount of the diluent carbon dioxide being fed-back to combustion apparatus 102 can be selectively adjusted so that in operation the combustion temperature can be in a range suitable to meet the temperature needs of a given process (this contrasts with conventional combustion approaches involving air, where, for example, the nitrogen typically provides the diluent functionality).

[0029] In one example embodiment, the method includes adjusting a respective ratio comprising one or more of the following ratios: a ratio of the hydrocarbon-based fuel relative to the oxygen, a ratio of the hydrocarbon-based fuel relative to the diluent, and a ratio of the oxygen relative to the diluent. This allows to appropriately adjust one or more combustion characteristics, such as combustion reaction rate, flame structure, flame temperature, and respective concentrations of, for example, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in the flames.

[0030] In one example embodiment, a controller 110 and valves 112, 114, 116 responsive to controller 110 are operatively coupled to respective flow lines supplying the oxygen, the fuel and the diluent (carbon dioxide) to implement the foregoing operational relationships. That is, to selectively adjust during operation the foregoing ratios. In one example embodiment, the method allows fluidly coupling carbon capture equipment (CCE) 118 to an exhaust of separator 106 to capture, for example, the portion of the carbon dioxide that is not fed-back to combustion apparatus 102. It will be appreciated that the illustrated valve arrangement is just one example and should not be construed in a limiting sense.

[0031] In one example embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an oxygen reservoir 120 (e.g., oxygen storage apparatus) can be interconnected between electrolyzer 104 and combustion apparatus 102. This allows smoothing out variability in the supply of electricity and / or allows at least some operational functionality during transient periods when renewables are not available or renewable power is insufficient.

[0032] As would be appreciated by one skilled in the art, regardless of whether an oxygen reservoir is involved or a direct connection of oxygen is implemented from electrolyzer 104, it is contemplated that an oxygen mover (e.g., compressor, exhaust fan, blower, etc.) can be interconnected between electrolyzer 104 and combustion apparatus 102 to move the oxygen from electrolyzer 104 into combustion apparatus 102 and / or reservoir 120. Based on the needs of a given application, this also would allow to overcome pressure drop.

[0033] Although the foregoing features (e.g., reservoir, oxygen mover) are being described and illustrated in the context of the embodiment initially described in the context of FIG. 1, it is contemplated that the foregoing features can be implemented in the context of further embodiments to be described below (i.e., FIG. 3 and FIG. 4); however, for the sake of simplicity, these features are omitted in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0034] In one example embodiment, as may be appreciated in FIG. 3, combustion apparatus comprises a metallurgical furnace 202, such as a blast furnace, as may be used for smelting to produce industrial metals, such as iron, copper, etc. In a blast furnace, fuel (e.g., coke), ores (e.g., iron ores), and a flux agent (e.g., limestone) are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace. Entry of the foregoing items (e.g., reaction products) is schematically indicated in FIG. 3 by lead line 210. Respective flows of liquid metal and slag formed in the furnace are schematically indicated in FIG. 3 by lead lines 212 and 214 respectively.

[0035] In one example embodiment, in operation, oxygen generated by electrolyzer 104 is mixed at a summing node 204 with carbon dioxide being fed-back after separation by way of from exhaust 206 of furnace 202 and the mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide is injected in furnace 202. It will be appreciated that the furnace exhaust may comprise carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water. Depending on the needs of a given application, the carbon monoxide can be subjected to further oxidation to generate a stream essentially comprising just carbon dioxide.

[0036] In one example embodiment, a portion of the carbon dioxide is fed-back from a flow-splitting node 208 (after appropriate separation by way of separator 106 (FIG. 1)) to summing node 204 as a diluent, while the remainder carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide not fed-back to furnace 202) passes through flow-splitting node 208 so that any remainder carbon dioxide, for example, can be cooled, compressed, and eventually captured by CCE 118.

[0037] The captured carbon dioxide can then be stored in an appropriate storage, such as a geological formation, storage vessel, etc. It will be appreciated that the foregoing application is just one example application, and therefore it should be understood that the same principle and approach embodied in disclosed embodiments can be extended to a variety of processes involving combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel.

[0038] In certain known processes involving blast furnaces, the furnace is typically fed with fuel and air and the combustion reactions generate the heat utilized for smelting. In contrast to such known processes, in our disclosed embodiments, carbon dioxide introduced with oxygen acts as the diluent and the portion of the carbon dioxide introduced can be adjusted to, for example, in turn adjust the combustion temperature to a desired temperature range suitable for a given process.

[0039] In one example embodiment, as may be appreciated in FIG. 4, combustion apparatus comprises a gas turbine engine 302. In one example embodiment, gas turbine engine 302 is arranged to drive by way of a rotor shaft 303 a TurboHeater 304 configured to introduce a desired level of thermal energy in connection with the process. For readers desirous of background information in connection with one example of a TurboHeater being developed by Siemens Energy (assignee of all intellectual property rights resulting from the instant application), reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 11,123,702, titled “Turbomachine Type Chemical Reactor”; U.S. Pat. No. 11,273,423 “Turbomachine Type Chemical Reactor”; U.S. Pat. No. 11,278,860, titled “Turbomachine Chemical Reactor And Method For Cracking”; and U.S. Pat. No. 11,059,018, titled “Turbomachine Chemical Reactor And Method For Cracking Hydrocarbons In A Process Fluid.

[0040] In one example embodiment, a recuperator 306 is connected to recover heat from the exhaust of gas turbine engine 302 and the recovered heat can be used to pre-heat process feed gas supplied to TurboHeater 304. In certain applications, a heat exchanger 308 may be optionally added, as shown in FIG. 4, to further pre-heat the process feed gas prior to being conveyed to TurboHeater 304. It will be appreciated heat exchanger 308 can be of any modality appropriate for the needs of a given application, such as an electric heat exchanger involving heater elements or such as a heat exchanger arranged to recover heat from at least some of the fluid discharged from TurboHeater 304. In certain applications, heat exchanger 308 could be a combination of the foregoing modalities of heat exchangers.

[0041] The output of TurboHeater 304 may pass through a flow-splitting node 310 where, for example, a first flow may include high value chemicals (HVCs), such as ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, etc., and may further include hydrogen; and a second flow may include other forms of hydrocarbons (HCs) that may be fed-back to be mixed by way of a summing node 312 with the hydrocarbon-based fuel supplied to gas turbine engine 302.

[0042] In one example embodiment, a portion of the carbon dioxide is fed-back from flow-splitting node 208 (after appropriate separation by way of separator 106 (FIG. 1)) to summing node 204 as a diluent, while the remainder carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide not fed-back to furnace gas turbine engine 302) passes through flow-splitting node 208 so that any remainder carbon dioxide, for example, can be cooled, compressed and eventually captured by CCE 118. That is, in operation, oxygen generated by electrolyzer 104 is mixed at summing node 204 with carbon dioxide being fed-back from the exhaust of recuperator 306 and the mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide is injected into gas turbine engine 302.

[0043] In operation, disclosed embodiments permit replacing air, which is the oxidizer typically used in known combustion-based industrial processes, with oxygen produced from electrolysis of water and use carbon dioxide as the diluent effective to achieve the process target combustion temperature. The result of the combustion reaction of a hydrocarbon fuel with oxygen and carbon dioxide, is a mixture of carbon dioxide and water, which can be readily processed to separate water and produce a carbon dioxide stream ready for compression and sequestration. The carbon dioxide required as diluent for the combustion reactions can be taken from this stream and recirculated to the inlet of the combustion apparatus supplying heat to the industrial process regardless of the specific modality of the combustion apparatus involved.

[0044] Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, substitutions, variations, and improvements disclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure in its broadest form. None of the description in the present application should be read as implying that any particular element, step, act, or function is an essential element, which must be included in the claim scope. The scope of patented subject matter is defined by the allowed claims. Moreover, none of these claims are intended to invoke a means plus function claim construction unless the exact words “means for” are followed by a participle.

Claims

1. A method for decarbonizing a process involving a combustion apparatus, the method comprising:fluidly coupling an electrolyzer to the combustion apparatus;supplying oxygen generated by the electrolyzer to the combustion apparatus, wherein the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus; andsupplying carbon dioxide to the combustion apparatus as a diluent for the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating combustion byproducts of the combustion in the combustion apparatus, the combustion byproducts comprising water and carbon dioxide.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising feeding back to the combustion apparatus at least a portion of the carbon dioxide resulting from the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus.

4. The method in accordance claim 1, wherein the electrolyzer is powered by one of the following: renewable-energy power source; a non-renewable-energy power source; and a combination of a renewable-energy power source and a non-renewable-energy power source.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising adjusting a respective ratio comprising one or more of the following: a ratio of the hydrocarbon-based fuel relative to the oxygen, a ratio of the hydrocarbon-based fuel relative to the diluent, and a ratio of the oxygen relative to the diluent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the combustion apparatus comprises a gas turbine engine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the gas turbine engine is arranged to drive a TurboHeater configured to provide a desired level of thermal energy in connection with the process.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the combustion apparatus comprises a metallurgical furnace.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the metallurgical furnace comprises a blast furnace.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising capturing carbon dioxide that is not feedback to the combustion apparatus.

11. A system for decarbonizing a process involving a combustion apparatus, the system comprising:an electrolyzer fluidly coupled to the combustion apparatus,wherein oxygen generated by the electrolyzer is supplied to the combustion apparatus and the oxygen acts as an oxidizer to support combustion of a hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus, andwherein carbon dioxide is supplied to the combustion apparatus as a diluent for the combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a separator arranged to separate byproducts of combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel in the combustion apparatus, the combustion byproducts comprising water and carbon dioxide.

13. The system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a loop arranged to feedback to the combustion apparatus a portion of the carbon dioxide to act as a diluent for combustion of the hydrocarbon-based fuel.

14. The system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the electrolyzer is powered by one of the following: renewable-energy power source; a non-renewable-energy power source; and a combination of a renewable-energy power source and a non-renewable-energy power source.

15. The system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a computerized controller configured to control at least one valve to selectively adjust a respective ratio comprising one or more of the following: a ratio of the hydrocarbon-based fuel relative to the oxygen, a ratio of the hydrocarbon-based fuel relative to the diluent, and a ratio of the oxygen relative to the diluent.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the combustion apparatus comprises a gas turbine engine.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the gas turbine engine is arranged to drive a TurboHeater configured to provide a desired level of thermal energy in connection with the process.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the combustion apparatus comprises a metallurgical furnace.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the metallurgical furnace comprises a blast furnace.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising carbon capture equipment fluidly coupled to an exhaust of the separator to capture carbon dioxide that is not feedback to the combustion apparatus.

21. The system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising an oxygen reservoir 120 fluidly interconnected between the electrolyzer and the combustion apparatus 102.

22. The system in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a recuperator fluidly coupled to an exhaust of the gas turbine engine.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising a heat exchanger fluidly coupled to an exhaust of the recuperator.

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