Combined Cleaning Unit for E-Plant Synthesis Gas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current synthesis gas production processes require separate cleaning and compression units for hydrogen, CO2, and N2, leading to increased capital expenditures and energy inefficiencies due to strict purity demands, especially for ammonia synthesis where oxygen impurities are detrimental to catalysts.
Innovation Solution
A combined cleaning unit is introduced to handle hydrogen and CO2 or N2 streams, allowing for simultaneous purification and optional integration with a compression unit, enabling higher oxygen content and reducing the number of equipment units, thus optimizing capital expenditures and improving ramp-up capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate cleaning units and compressors are used for H2 and CO2/N2 streams, then purity requirements are met, but capital expenditures and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate cleaning units into a single common cleaning unit that processes both H2 and CO2/N2 streams simultaneously. This merging reduces the total number of equipment units while maintaining the required purity levels through integrated cleaning functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The common cleaning unit is designed to perform multiple functions: cleaning H2 streams, cleaning CO2/N2 streams, and potentially integrating compression functionality. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated units for each gas stream.
2Reliability
If separate cleaning units are used for H2 and CO2/N2, then purity standards are maintained, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging separate cleaning operations into a single common cleaning unit, the system reduces operational costs through shared infrastructure, reduced energy consumption, and lower maintenance requirements compared to operating multiple separate cleaning units.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If strict purity specifications are enforced for ammonia synthesis, then catalyst protection is achieved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes oxygen and other harmful impurities from both H2 and CO2/N2 streams within the common cleaning unit through catalytic conversion and separation processes, ensuring catalyst protection while using a single integrated system rather than multiple separate units.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning unit converts harmful oxygen impurities into water through catalytic conversion, transforming a harmful substance into a benign byproduct while protecting the ammonia synthesis catalyst from oxygen poisoning.
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
This approach reduces the number of equipment units, lowers operational costs, and enhances ramp-up capacity by allowing higher oxygen content in hydrogen streams, while maintaining purity standards for synthesis gas production, thereby improving the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the process.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning unit (E) for removal of impurities from combined streams (4,8) or (4,12)
Implementation Method 2
In nitrogen production, the high purity demand will make the system costlier and/or less energy efficient
Implementation Method 3
said combined streams of H2 and CO2 or H2 and N2 are compressed in a compression unit (G)
Implementation Method 4
providing a stream (4) comprising hydrogen; wherein said stream (4) is prepared by electrolysis of water
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention refers to a process, a system and a plant for producing synthesis gas, comprising a combined cleaning unit for hydrogen and CO2 or hydrogen and N2. The process, system and plant of the present invention provide significant savings and improved CAPEX in e-plants for producing ammonia, methanol and other e-fuels.