All-steam gasifier with micronized char preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technologies with carbon capture are uneconomical and inefficient, leading to the shutdown of coal plants and limited adoption, as they require additional power for carbon capture systems, reducing overall efficiency and increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
An all-steam gasification system with a micronized char preparation system and indirect gasifier that uses steam to produce hydrogen and air for gasification, eliminating the need for oxygen and reducing system complexity, while enhancing hydrogen production and efficiency, achieving up to 43% Higher Heating Value with over 90% carbon capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional IGCC technology with carbon capture is used, then carbon capture is achieved, but additional power is required for carbon capture systems reducing overall efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the oxygen plant from the conventional IGCC system by using air instead of oxygen for gasification. This removes the energy-intensive air separation unit while maintaining carbon capture capability through the same gasification process, thereby resolving the contradiction between achieving carbon capture and maintaining overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the oxidizer parameter from oxygen to air in the gasification process. This parameter change eliminates the need for oxygen production infrastructure and reduces energy consumption while still achieving effective carbon capture through the gasification process, thus resolving the efficiency-capture contradiction.
2Reliability
If oxygen plants are used for gasification, then gasification process is maintained, but system complexity and capital costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the oxygen plant from the system by substituting air as the oxidizer. This extraction of the oxygen production infrastructure significantly reduces system complexity and capital costs while the gasification process continues to function reliably using air instead of oxygen.
3Power
If conventional gasification systems are used, then power generation is achieved, but hydrogen production efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the oxidizer from oxygen to air, which alters the chemical composition of the syngas produced. This parameter change increases hydrogen production efficiency because air-based gasification produces a higher hydrogen content syngas, thereby improving both power generation and hydrogen productivity simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The all-steam gasification system significantly improves efficiency and reduces costs by increasing hydrogen production and eliminating the need for oxygen plants, resulting in higher power generation per pound of coal and lower capital and fuel costs, while achieving near-zero emissions and efficient carbon capture.
Implementation Method 1
a devolatilizer that pyrolyzes solid fuel to produce char and gases
Implementation Method 2
An indirectly heated all-steam gasifier (ASG) uses small char particles to facilitate rapid conversion
Implementation Method 3
a burner that adds exothermic heat to gasses by high-pressure sub-stoichiometric combustion
Implementation Method 4
a devolatilizer cyclone that separates the micronized char
Data Source
AI summary
An ASG system for polygeneration with CC includes a devolatilizer that pyrolyzes solid fuel to produce char and gases. A burner adds exothermic heat by high-pressure sub-stoichiometric combustion, a mixing pot causes turbulent flow of the gases to heat received solid fuel, and a riser micronizes resulting friable char. A devolatilizer cyclone separates the micronized char by weight providing micronized char, steam and gases to a gasifier feed and oversized char to the mixing pot. An indirect fluid bed gasifier combustion loop includes a gasifier coupled to the gasifier feed, a steam input to provide oxygen for gasification and to facilitate sand-char separation, and an output for providing syngas. A burner provides POC to a mixing pot which provides hot sand with POC to a POC cyclone via a riser, where the POC cyclone separates sand and POC by weight and provides POC and sand for steam-carbon reaction.