Method and apparatus for converting ammonia and methanol to hydrogen using rotational thermal energy.

Abstract

A method for thermal or thermochemical conversion of an ammonia or methanol feedstock to hydrogen (gas) is provided in a related feedstock conversion facility. The method includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device, supplying a flow of the heated fluid medium thus generated to the feedstock conversion facility, and operating the at least one rotating device and the hydrogen production facility for thermal or thermochemical conversion of the ammonia or methanol feedstock to hydrogen at a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500°C. Further equipment for hydrogen production from ammonia or methanol feedstock is provided.

Claims

1. A method for thermal or thermochemical conversion of an ammonia or methanol raw material to hydrogen, wherein the method is: This includes generating a heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device incorporated into the related raw material conversion equipment, The at least one rotating device is A rotor having multiple rotor blades arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub attached to a rotor shaft, Multiple fixed blades or vanes arranged in an assembly adjacent to at least one row of rotor blades, A casing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein the duct is configured to enclose rotating and stationary blades such that the bladeless portion of the duct is essentially positioned following the bladed portion; Equipped with, The rotating device is configured such that the flow of the fluid medium passes continuously through the bladed and non-blade portions of the duct, thereby imparting thermal energy to the flow of the fluid medium flowing in the duct between the inlet and the outlet through a series of energy conversions that occur when a heated flow of the fluid medium is generated. The aforementioned method, - Supplying the heated fluid medium flow generated by the at least one rotating device to the raw material conversion equipment, and - Operating the at least one rotating device and the raw material conversion equipment to perform thermal or thermochemical conversion of ammonia or methanol raw materials to hydrogen at a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding 500°C. This also includes, method.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the raw material conversion equipment is connected to at least one rotating device configured to perform thermal or thermochemical conversion of an ammonia or methanol raw material to hydrogen at a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding 500°C.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising supplying a flow of the heated fluid medium generated by at least one rotating device to at least one raw material conversion device within the raw material conversion facility.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the raw material conversion apparatus comprises at least one reactor or heating furnace configured to perform a thermal and / or catalytic method for producing hydrogen from ammonia or methanol.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: generating a heated fluid medium by applying thermal energy to the fluid medium traveling through the at least one rotating device; and using the fluid medium as a carrier for transferring thermal energy to at least one raw material conversion device and for heating the flow of the ammonia or methanol raw material-containing process fluid in the raw material conversion device to a temperature at which a conversion reaction occurs.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rotating device includes subjecting an ammonia or methanol raw material to thermal or thermochemical conversion, and the conversion reaction is initiated in the flow of the ammonia or methanol raw material-containing process fluid as it passes through the rotating device by directly applying the thermal energy necessary for the conversion reaction to the flow of the raw material-containing process fluid.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thermal or thermochemical conversion of an ammonia or methanol raw material is carried out by thermal decomposition and / or reforming, if necessary, in the presence of water vapor.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising generating the fluid medium heated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500°C by at least one rotating device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising supplying the flow of the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device to the raw material conversion equipment, thereby providing external heat to at least one raw material conversion device within the equipment.

10. The heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device is ammonia (NH ３ ) or methanol (CH ３ The method according to claim 6, comprising OH.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the fluid medium entering at least the rotating device is essentially a gaseous medium.

12. The heated fluid medium generated in the at least one rotating device is air, oxygen gas (O ２ ), nitrogen gas (N ２ ), nitrogen oxides (NO ｘ ), hydrogen gas (H ２ ), carbon dioxide (CO2) ２ The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising one of the following: ), carbon monoxide (CO), a hydrocarbon-containing gas, or a combination thereof.

13. The heated fluid medium generated in the at least one rotating device is water vapor (H ２ The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, including (O).

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device includes recycled gas recycled from exhaust gas generated during the raw material conversion method in the raw material conversion equipment.

15. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the raw material conversion equipment comprises a pyrolysis reactor or a reforming reactor.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the raw material conversion equipment comprises at least one packed bed reactor.

17. The method according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the raw material conversion apparatus includes a catalyst.

18. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising adjusting the velocity and / or pressure of the flow of the fluid medium traveling through the rotating device.

19. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the heated fluid medium is generated by at least one rotating device comprising two or more rows of rotor blades arranged continuously along the rotor shaft.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the duct without blades generates the heated fluid medium by at least one rotating device located downstream of at least one row of rotor blades.

21. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 20, comprising connecting at least two rotating devices to a system in which a first device is provided having a preheater function for (pre)heating the ammonia or methanol raw material-containing process fluid, and a second device located downstream of the first device is provided having a heat cracker function.

22. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the at least one rotating device is electrically operated and the electrical energy constitutes 5 to 100% of the total energy consumption by the at least one rotating device.

23. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the electrical energy consumed by the at least one rotating device is obtained from a renewable energy source or different energy sources, or, if necessary, a combination of renewable energy sources.

24. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the at least one rotating device is configured to receive input energy from a non-electric power source such as a power turbine and / or a mechanical drive engine.

25. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the raw material conversion and manufacturing equipment is a hydrogen production equipment.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the raw material conversion and manufacturing equipment is an ammonia cracking plant or a methanol steam reforming (MSR) plant.

27. A hydrogen production apparatus comprising at least one reactor or furnace configured to produce hydrogen from ammonia or methanol feedstock at a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500°C, and at least one rotating device configured to generate a heated fluid medium for inputting thermal energy into the at least one reactor or furnace, wherein the at least one rotating device A rotor having multiple rotor blades arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub attached to a rotor shaft, Multiple fixed blades or vanes arranged in an assembly adjacent to at least one row of rotor blades, A casing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein the duct is configured to enclose rotating and stationary blades such that the bladeless portion of the duct is essentially positioned following the bladed portion; Equipped with, The at least one rotating device is configured to operate so that the flow of the fluid medium passes continuously through the bladed and non-blade portions of the duct, thereby imparting thermal energy to the flow of the fluid medium flowing in the duct between the inlet and the outlet through a series of energy conversions that occur when a heated flow of the fluid medium is generated. Hydrogen production equipment.

28. A hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 27, configured to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

29. A method for producing hydrogen from ammonia or methanol, the method comprising generating a fluid medium heated by at least one rotating device incorporated into an associated hydrogen production facility, the at least one rotating device is A rotor having multiple rotor blades arranged in at least one row around a rotor hub attached to a rotor shaft, Multiple fixed blades or vanes arranged in an assembly adjacent to at least one row of rotor blades, A casing having a duct formed between at least one inlet and at least one outlet, wherein the duct is configured to enclose rotating and stationary blades such that the bladeless portion of the duct is essentially positioned following the bladed portion; Prepare, The rotating device is configured such that the flow of the fluid medium passes continuously through the bladed and non-blade portions of the duct, thereby imparting thermal energy to the flow of the fluid medium flowing in the duct between the inlet and the outlet through a series of energy conversions that occur when a heated flow of the fluid medium is generated. The aforementioned method, - Supplying the flow of the heated fluid medium generated by the at least one rotating device to the hydrogen production facility, and - Operating the at least one rotating device and the hydrogen production equipment for thermal or thermochemical conversion of ammonia or methanol to hydrogen at a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding 500°C, Furthermore, method.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the production of hydrogen from ammonia or methanol as a raw material is carried out in the hydrogen production facility by a thermal or thermochemical conversion method described in any one of claims 1 to 26.

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