A solar-driven hydrogen production device by coupling biomass methanation and gasification

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of solar-driven biomass methane coupling gasification hydrogen production device, comprising: gasification reactor, deacidification ash remover, hydrogen separation reactor and temperature control mechanism;The gasification reactor includes solar receiver, raw material feed port, reaction chamber, light guide device and baffle, the reaction chamber is filled with catalyst required for gasification reaction inside, the baffle is vertically arranged with reaction chamber axial, to separate reaction chamber and ash storage room;The deacidification ash remover includes deacidification chamber, ash storage room and ash filter, the deacidification chamber is filled with deacidification material inside.The application solves the following problems existing in prior art: raw material conversion rate is low, which leads to serious resource waste;Lack of hydrogen separation mechanism, need to rely on additional purification unit, increase equipment investment and system energy consumption;Energy supply relies on fossil energy combustion or power grid power supply;Traditional system has many components, and heat loss is large;Downstream tail gas carbon capture energy consumption is large, and additional carbon capture equipment is needed, which not only causes resource waste, but also increases environmental protection cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of energy technology, specifically to a solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device. Background Technology

[0002] Guided by the "dual carbon" goal, building a low-carbon, efficient, and sustainable energy system has become a global consensus. The integrated development of biomass resource utilization and low-carbon hydrogen production technology is a key path to breaking the dependence on traditional energy sources and achieving a win-win situation for environmental protection and energy supply. Biomass, as a renewable carbon source, is abundant and carbon-neutral, and its conversion into hydrogen is an important research direction in the field of clean energy. Methane, as a low-carbon fossil energy source with huge reserves, has high calorific value and great conversion potential. The synergistic conversion of these two into hydrogen can achieve complementary advantages between renewable carbon and low-carbon fossil energy, significantly improving energy utilization efficiency. However, existing hydrogen production and biomass-methane co-conversion technologies still face many technical bottlenecks that urgently need to be addressed, limiting their large-scale application. 1. Traditional biomass and methane are mostly used to produce hydrogen separately: biomass has high tar content and low gas purity, while methane requires fossil energy for heating; a few coupling schemes have low feed conversion rates and serious resource waste due to mismatched reaction conditions.

[0003] 2. Existing coupled gasification hydrogen production lacks a hydrogen separation mechanism and relies on additional purification units, increasing equipment investment and energy consumption.

[0004] 3. Most coupled gasification hydrogen production units have high carbon emissions and rely heavily on fossil fuel combustion or grid power supply for energy. They have failed to break free from their dependence on high-carbon energy sources, which contradicts the goal of low-carbon development.

[0005] 4. Traditional systems have many components, long pipelines, low integration, large footprint, large heat loss, and high equipment investment.

[0006] 5. Hydrogen production exhaust gas is often directly emitted or requires additional carbon capture equipment, which wastes resources and increases environmental protection costs. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device to address the following issues in the background art: low raw material conversion rate and serious resource waste; lack of hydrogen separation mechanism, reliance on additional purification units, increasing equipment investment and energy consumption; reliance on fossil fuel combustion or grid power supply, failing to break free from dependence on high-carbon energy, which contradicts the goal of low-carbon development; numerous system components, low integration, large heat loss, and high investment; and direct emission of hydrogen production tail gas or the need for additional carbon capture equipment, wasting resources and increasing environmental costs.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device, comprising: a gasification reactor, an acid removal and ash removal device, a hydrogen separation reactor, and a temperature control mechanism; The gasification reactor includes a solar receiver, a raw material inlet, a reaction chamber, a light guide device, and a baffle. The reaction chamber is filled with the catalyst required for the gasification reaction. The baffle is arranged perpendicular to the axial direction of the reaction chamber to separate the reaction chamber from the ash storage chamber. The deacidification and ash removal device includes a deacidification chamber, an ash storage chamber, and an ash filter. The deacidification chamber is filled with deacidification material. The hydrogen separation reactor includes a hydrogen separation device, a reactor shell, a raw gas inlet, a hydrogen outlet, and a tail gas outlet. The hydrogen separation device is built inside the reactor shell, and a reaction catalyst is filled between the hydrogen separation device and the reactor shell. The temperature control mechanism includes a temperature equalization plate and a heat insulation layer. The temperature equalization plate is respectively attached to the outer wall of the gasification reactor, the acid removal and ash removal device and the hydrogen separation reactor, and the heat insulation layer is wrapped around the outside of the temperature equalization plate.

[0009] Preferably, the outer shell of the gasification reactor is made of a high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant metal material.

[0010] Preferably, the material of the solar receiver is a high-transmittance, heat-resistant material.

[0011] Preferably, the catalyst packed inside the gasification reactor is selected from one or a combination of several of Ni-based catalysts, Co-based catalysts, Fe-based catalysts, Cu-based catalysts, Mn-based catalysts, Ru-based catalysts, Rh-based catalysts, Pd-based catalysts, perovskite, and dolomite.

[0012] Preferably, the baffle is a ceramic porous plate or a metal porous plate.

[0013] Preferably, the light guiding device is an optical fiber or a composite parabolic concentrator. When the gasification reactor has a long and narrow internal space and a complex internal structure, making it difficult for light energy to directly and accurately cover the reaction area, or when the light spot formed by primary focusing has problems such as dispersion, insufficient energy density, and low incident angle tolerance, a suitable light energy transfer or focusing optimization device can be selected. To address the internal space limitations of the reactor, a light guiding device is used to stably transfer the light energy of the external focusing system to the inside of the gasification reactor. The preferred light guiding device is an optical fiber. To address the problem of poor focusing effect, a secondary focusing device is used to optimize the light spot characteristics, improve energy density, and increase the incident angle tolerance. The preferred secondary focusing device is a composite parabolic concentrator. Alternatively, the light guiding device and the secondary focusing device can be used in combination according to actual working conditions to achieve efficient focusing and stable transmission of light energy.

[0014] Preferably, the ash filter is a dense ceramic or dense metal porous plate with a pore size of less than 10 micrometers.

[0015] Preferably, the deacidification material filled in the deacidification chamber is metal oxide particles or carbonate particles.

[0016] Preferably, the catalyst packed inside the hydrogen separation reactor is selected from one or more of Ni-based catalysts, Co-based catalysts, Fe-based catalysts, Cu-based catalysts, Ru-based catalysts, Rh-based catalysts, and Pd-based catalysts, or no catalyst is packed inside.

[0017] Preferably, the hydrogen separation device is a hydrogen-permeable membrane with selective hydrogen permeability or an adsorption separation device with built-in solid materials that adsorb hydrogen, or it utilizes built-in solid materials such as Li-based materials, Mg-based materials, Ni-based materials, Pd-based materials, Zr-based materials, MOFs, and carbon nanotubes to absorb / adsorb hydrogen for separation, so as to separate hydrogen from syngas and improve the efficiency of hydrogen production reaction.

[0018] The hydrogen permeable membrane is composed of one or more of the following: palladium metal and its alloy membranes, perovskite proton conductor membranes, ceramic proton conductor membranes, or porous molecular sieve hydrogen permeable membranes.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device achieves multi-stage utilization of solar thermal energy, significantly improving the overall energy efficiency of the system. In traditional coupled gasification hydrogen production technologies, high-temperature gasification and medium- and low-temperature hydrogen separation / conversion reactions usually require independent heating or temperature control systems, resulting in dispersed energy utilization and low efficiency. This invention innovatively designs an integrated temperature control mechanism consisting of a heat spreader and an insulation layer. This mechanism uses high-grade thermal energy input from a solar concentrator as the core heat source, and distributes heat to reaction units in different temperature zones as needed through the efficient axial heat conduction of the heat spreader. Specifically, heat is prioritized to meet the high-temperature thermal demand of the gasification reactor, while the remaining heat is precisely transferred to the downstream hydrogen separation reactor to maintain its optimal operating temperature. This "single heat source input, tiered temperature utilization" model not only perfectly matches the differentiated temperature requirements of each reaction stage, but also minimizes heat loss and grade degradation during the transfer process, solving the core problems of temperature zone mismatch and energy waste in traditional technologies, and achieving global optimized configuration of solar thermal energy.

[0020] 2. This solar-powered biomass methane coupled with gasification for hydrogen production integrates reaction and separation, driving the reaction equilibrium forward and significantly improving feedstock conversion rate and hydrogen yield. Existing technologies typically require cooling the syngas after gasification or reforming, followed by purification of hydrogen via a separate PSA or membrane separation unit, resulting in a lengthy and energy-intensive process. This invention directly integrates the hydrogen separation device into the hydrogen separation reactor, tightly coupled with the catalyst layer. Simultaneously with the reaction, the high temperature and pressure conditions inside the reactor serve as the driving force for in-situ, real-time separation of the generated hydrogen. This process continuously reduces the partial pressure of hydrogen in the reaction zone, driving the chemical equilibrium of reversible reactions such as water-gas shift and methane reforming to significantly shift towards hydrogen production, according to Le Chatelier's principle. As a result, under the same temperature and pressure conditions, the feedstock conversion rate is significantly improved, achieving a dual increase in hydrogen yield and purity without increasing additional energy consumption, while simplifying the system process and reducing heat loss and investment costs.

[0021] 3. This solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production unit achieves seamless integration of high-pressure hydrogen and tail gas resource utilization, simultaneously completing efficient carbon capture. Traditional hydrogen production units often directly discharge the high-temperature mixed tail gas or require complex treatment for carbon capture, resulting in poor economic efficiency. This invention fully utilizes the high-temperature, high-pressure tail gas generated by coupled gasification and in-situ hydrogen separation. The composition and state parameters of this tail gas precisely meet the core requirements of heavy oil thermal recovery for the displacement medium. Therefore, the tail gas does not require the expensive and energy-intensive pretreatment process of traditional cooling, depressurization, reheating, and repressurization, and can be directly transported to the oilfield for oil displacement. This not only achieves efficient recovery of tail gas thermal and pressure energy but also naturally realizes CO2 geological sequestration during oil displacement, forming an integrated closed loop of "hydrogen production-oil displacement-carbon sequestration." While producing clean hydrogen, it completes carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration at extremely low additional costs, demonstrating significant economic and environmental advantages.

[0022] 4. This solar-driven biomass methane coupled with gasification hydrogen production unit avoids the safety risks of hydrogen-assisted oil recovery and simplifies the hydrogen production-oil recovery process. In the traditional "hydrogen production-hydrogen separation-oil recovery" path, if hydrogen-containing gas is used for direct oil recovery, there are significant safety and environmental risks, including the flammability and explosiveness of hydrogen and the potential generation of highly toxic hydrogen sulfide in the oil reservoir. Typically, hydrogen needs to be completely separated using processes such as PSA, which is complex. This invention achieves in-situ high-purity hydrogen separation during the reaction stage, ensuring that the hydrogen content in the final tail gas is extremely low or even zero. Therefore, the produced high-temperature, high-pressure tail gas can be directly used for heavy oil thermal recovery, completely avoiding hydrogen-related safety and corrosion risks. This fundamentally simplifies the process complexity of coupling the hydrogen production unit with the oilfield oil recovery system, improving the overall system's safety and reliability.

[0023] 5. This solar-driven biomass-methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device possesses high adaptability to raw materials and structural flexibility, with broad application prospects. Although this invention uses the coupled gasification of biomass and methane as an example, its core design concepts—solar-driven operation, integrated multi-stage reaction and separation, and high-pressure utilization of tail gas—are universally applicable. The gasification reactor and hydrogen separation reactor have broad compatibility with different types and forms of raw materials. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings show both series and serpentine arrangements, allowing for flexible selection based on site conditions, thermal management requirements, and ease of maintenance. This advantage in raw material universality and modular structure makes this device suitable not only for specific biomass / methane hydrogen production scenarios but also for various clean conversion hydrogen production and carbon management fields involving carbon resources, possessing broad market application potential and industrialization prospects. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of a multi-energy coupled hydrogen production unit arranged in series. Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a serpentine multi-energy coupled hydrogen production unit. In the diagram: 1. Gasification reactor; 5. Solar receiver; 6. Raw material inlet; 7. Reaction chamber; 8. Baffle; 19. Light guide device; 2. Deacidification and ash removal device; 9. Deacidification chamber; 10. Ash storage chamber; 11. Ash filter; 3. Hydrogen separation reactor; 12. Hydrogen separation device; 13. Outer shell of hydrogen separation reactor; 14. Raw material gas inlet; 15. Hydrogen outlet; 16. Tail gas outlet; 4. Temperature control mechanism; 17. Temperature equalization plate; 18. Insulation layer. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1 Please see Figure 2 The present invention provides a technical solution: a solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device arranged in series, comprising: a gasification reactor 1, an acid removal and ash removal device 2, a hydrogen separation reactor 3, and a temperature control mechanism 4.

[0027] The gasification reactor 1 includes a solar receiver 5, a raw material inlet 6, a gasification reaction chamber 7, and baffles 8. The reaction chamber 7 is filled with the catalyst required for the gasification reaction. The solar receiver 5 is installed at the top of the reactor, and the baffles 8 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the reaction chamber 7. The outer shell material of the gasification reactor 1 can be selected from high-temperature and corrosion-resistant metal materials such as Hastelloy or 310S stainless steel. The solar receiver 5 can be made of high-transmittance and high-temperature resistant materials such as quartz or sapphire glass. The catalyst filled inside the gasification reactor 1 can be selected from materials such as Ni-based catalysts, Co-based catalysts, Fe-based catalysts, perovskite, and dolomite. The baffles 8 can be porous ceramic plates or porous metal plates to ensure the flow of gas containing ash particles and the fixation of the internal catalyst.

[0028] The deacidification and ash removal unit 2 includes a deacidification chamber 9, an ash storage chamber 10, and an ash filter 11. The internal space of the deacidification and ash removal unit 2 can be functionally divided into the deacidification chamber 9 and the ash storage chamber 10. The ash filter 11 is used to filter solid ash particles in the airflow and can be a dense ceramic or dense metal porous plate with a pore size of less than 10 micrometers. The deacidification chamber 9 is filled with deacidification material, which can be metal oxide particles or carbonate particles such as ZnO, K2CO3, CaO, MgO, and CaCO3.

[0029] The hydrogen separation reactor 3 includes a hydrogen separation device 12, a hydrogen separation reactor shell 13, a feed gas inlet 14, a hydrogen outlet 15, and a tail gas outlet 16. The hydrogen separation device 12 is nested inside the hydrogen separation reactor shell 13, with the space between them used to fill the reaction catalyst. The hydrogen separation device 12 can be made of a porous ceramic tube as the substrate, with its outer layer coated with a membrane material that selectively permeates hydrogen, such as a palladium thin film, palladium-silver alloy thin film, or palladium-gold alloy thin film, or filled with a porous tube containing a solid material that adsorbs hydrogen, such as LiH, MgH2, or LaNi5H6. The material of the hydrogen separation reactor shell 13 can be a high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant metal material such as Hastelloy or 310S stainless steel. The catalyst filled inside the hydrogen separation reactor 3 can be a metal-based catalyst such as a Ni-based catalyst, a Co-based catalyst, or an Fe-based catalyst.

[0030] The temperature control mechanism 4 includes a temperature distribution plate 17 and an insulation layer 18. The temperature distribution plate 17 is attached to the outer wall of the gasification reactor 1, the acid removal and ash removal device 2, and the hydrogen separation reactor 3, respectively, and the insulation layer 18 is wrapped around the outside of the temperature distribution plate. The temperature distribution plate 17 can be made of solid materials with high thermal conductivity such as copper, silver, graphite, and tungsten. The insulation layer 18 can be made of high-temperature resistant and low-thermal-conductivity materials such as mullite, aerogel, aluminum silicate fiber, and mineral wool.

[0031] The pressurized biomass powder, liquid water and methane are transported to gasification reactor 1, where a coupled gasification reaction occurs under the action of catalyst and solar heating to generate ash, CO, CO2, H2S, CH4, HCl and gaseous water. The preparation formula is as follows; The aperture of the baffle built into the gasification reactor should be smaller than the catalyst particle size but larger than the ash particle size to ensure that the catalyst inside the gasification reactor is fixed and that the ash particles can smoothly enter the deacidification and ash removal device, preventing the accumulation of ash in the gasification reactor and hindering the gasification reaction.

[0032] The mixture of syngas and ash particles enters vertically downward into the deacidification and ash removal device 2. The airflow first enters the ash storage chamber 10, and the ash filter 11 traps the ash particles in the airflow in the ash storage chamber 10 to ensure that the airflow flowing out of the ash storage chamber does not contain solid particles.

[0033] The syngas that has been de-ashed continues to enter the deacidification chamber 9. The acidic gases such as H2S and HCl in the gas flow react chemically with the deacidification materials in the deacidification chamber 9 to generate H2O, ZnS and ZnCl2.

[0034] After deacidification and ash removal, the syngas enters hydrogen separation reactor 3, where CO and CH4 react with H2O to produce CO2 and H2, respectively.

[0035] The heat for the reaction process is provided by solar thermal energy at the top of the unit, and the heat is transferred to the downstream hydrogen separation reactor 3 unit through a heat spreader 17 to ensure that it operates within its rated operating temperature range. Inside the hydrogen separation reactor 3, the hydrogen separation device 12 separates the hydrogen produced in the reaction from the syngas, and discharges and collects it through the hydrogen outlet 15. During the reaction, hydrogen is separated in real time, causing the reaction equilibrium to shift to the forward direction. The final discharged high-temperature, high-pressure tail gas, rich in CO2 and H2O, can be used for heavy oil thermal recovery, achieving carbon capture and resource utilization.

[0036] Example 2 Please see Figure 3 This invention provides another technical solution: a serpentine-arranged, solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device. This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1 in terms of the composition, connection relationship, and materials used in the gasification reactor 1, acid removal and ash removal device 2, hydrogen separation reactor 3, and temperature control mechanism 4. The main difference lies in the serpentine arrangement of the internal components, resulting in different flow paths.

[0037] Syngas containing ash particles flows into the ash storage chamber 10 from the lower left under the influence of gravity and pressure difference. As the gas flows through the ash filter 11, the ash solid particles are filtered and stored in the ash storage chamber 10. The syngas after ash storage flows into the deacidification chamber 9 through the rear annular channel. Under the influence of pressure difference, the gas flows from bottom to top through the deacidification chamber 9, where acidic gases are removed. Subsequent reactions and separation processes are the same as in Example 1.

[0038] Compared to series arrangement, serpentine arrangement can effectively shorten the overall device length and reduce insulation requirements; however, it is more complex and more difficult to maintain, clean and replace materials later.

[0039] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device, characterized in that, include: The gasification reactor (1), the acid removal and ash removal device (2), the hydrogen separation reactor (3), and the temperature control mechanism (4) are included. The gasification reactor (1) includes a solar receiver (5), a raw material inlet (6), a reaction chamber (7), a light guide device (19), and baffles (8). The reaction chamber (7) is filled with the catalyst required for the gasification reaction, and the baffles (8) are spaced apart along the axial direction of the reaction chamber (7). The deacidification and ash removal device (2) includes a deacidification chamber (9), an ash storage chamber (10), and an ash filter (11). The deacidification chamber (9) is filled with deacidification material. The hydrogen separation reactor (3) includes a hydrogen separation device (12), a reactor shell (13), a raw material gas inlet (14), a hydrogen outlet (15) and a tail gas outlet (16). The hydrogen separation device (12) is built inside the reactor shell (13), and a reaction catalyst is filled between the hydrogen separation device (12) and the reactor shell (13). The temperature control mechanism (4) includes a temperature equalization plate (17) and a heat insulation layer (18). The temperature equalization plate (17) is attached to the outer wall of the gasification reactor (1), the acid removal and ash removal device (2) and the hydrogen separation reactor (3), respectively. The heat insulation layer (18) is wrapped around the outside of the temperature equalization plate (17). The ash filter (11) is a dense ceramic or dense metal porous plate with a pore size of less than 10 micrometers; The deacidification material filled in the deacidification chamber (9) is metal oxide particles or carbonate particles.

2. The solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer shell of the gasification reactor (1) is made of high-temperature resistant and corrosion-resistant metal material.

3. The solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The solar receiver (5) is made of a high-transmittance, heat-resistant material.

4. The solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The catalyst packed inside the gasification reactor (1) is selected from one or a combination of Ni-based catalysts, Co-based catalysts, Fe-based catalysts, Cu-based catalysts, Mn-based catalysts, Ru-based catalysts, Rh-based catalysts, Pd-based catalysts, perovskite and dolomite.

5. A solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The baffle (8) is a ceramic porous plate or a metal porous plate.

6. A solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light guiding device (19) is an optical fiber and / or a composite parabolic concentrator.

7. A solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The catalyst packed inside the hydrogen separation reactor (3) is selected from one or more of Ni-based catalysts, Co-based catalysts, Fe-based catalysts, Cu-based catalysts, Ru-based catalysts, Rh-based catalysts, and Pd-based catalysts, or no catalyst is packed inside.

8. A solar-driven biomass methane coupled gasification hydrogen production device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen separation device (12) is a hydrogen permeable membrane that selectively permeates hydrogen or an adsorption separation device with a built-in solid material that adsorbs hydrogen; the hydrogen permeable membrane is one or a combination of several of the following: palladium metal and its alloy membrane, perovskite proton conductor membrane, ceramic proton conductor membrane or porous molecular sieve hydrogen permeable membrane.

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