Incomplete Combustion for CO2 Reduction and Hydrogen Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fossil fuel combustion contributes significantly to global warming through carbon dioxide emissions, and existing methods for hydrogen production from water electrolysis are energy-intensive and not commercially viable, while hydrogen combustion also emits greenhouse gases.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating incomplete combustion to produce carbon monoxide and water instead of carbon dioxide, followed by high-temperature electrolysis using renewable energy to produce hydrogen, which is then used in the Fischer-Tropsch process to create hydrocarbons, thereby reducing CO2 emissions and providing a means for intermittent renewable energy storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If complete combustion of fossil fuel is used to generate energy, then energy production is achieved, but carbon dioxide emissions increase causing global warming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful incomplete combustion process that produces carbon monoxide into a beneficial intermediate step. The carbon monoxide, which would normally be a harmful emission, is captured and used as feedstock for the Fischer-Tropsch process to produce hydrocarbon fuels, thereby converting a pollutant into a useful product while reducing CO2 emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the combustion parameters by operating in the incomplete combustion regime rather than complete combustion. By controlling oxygen supply and combustion conditions, the process produces carbon monoxide instead of carbon dioxide, fundamentally changing the chemical reaction pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
2Quantity of substance
If water electrolysis is used to produce hydrogen, then hydrogen is obtained, but energy consumption is excessive making it not commercially viable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter in the electrolysis process by using high-temperature electrolysis instead of conventional low-temperature electrolysis. This parameter change enables the utilization of thermal energy from the incomplete combustion process, significantly reducing the electrical energy required and making hydrogen production commercially viable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the incomplete combustion process with the electrolysis process by using the heat generated from combustion to provide the thermal energy needed for high-temperature electrolysis. This integration creates a coupled system where the waste heat from one process becomes the energy input for the other, reducing overall energy consumption.
3Use of energy by moving object
If hydrogen is combusted to generate energy, then energy production is achieved, but nitrous oxide emissions occur contributing to global warming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful nitrous oxide emissions from hydrogen combustion into useful hydrocarbon fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process. The carbon monoxide and hydrogen that would produce nitrous oxide are instead used as feedstock to synthesize liquid hydrocarbon fuels, eliminating the harmful emission while maintaining energy production capability.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If renewable energy sources are used to produce electricity, then clean energy is generated, but energy storage is difficult due to intermittency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes electrical energy storage with chemical energy storage in the form of hydrocarbon fuels. Instead of trying to store intermittent renewable electricity, the system uses the electricity to drive the Fischer-Tropsch process and store energy in stable hydrocarbon molecules that can be stored, transported, and dispatched on demand.
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 transforms fossil fuels into a 'clean' energy source, reduces CO2 emissions, and offers an efficient, cost-effective method for hydrogen production and storage as chemical energy, addressing the challenges of fossil fuel combustion and intermittent renewable energy.
Implementation Method 1
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced instead of Carbon dioxide (CO2) in incomplete combustion of fossil fuel. Incomplete combustion happens when there is a limited supply of air
Implementation Method 2
Water splitting is the chemical reaction in which water is broken down into oxygen and hydrogen, according to the following equation: 2H2O→2H2+O2. It is, in other words, electrolysis of water or the decomposition of water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen (H2), due to an electric current being passed through it.
Implementation Method 3
The Fischer-Tropsch is a reaction involving carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) to produce fossil fuel in the form of hydrocarbons
Data Source
AI summary
What is disclosed herein is a process in which the first step is to use fossil fuel to generate clean energy by eliminating Carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas emissions, harnessing renewable energy sources by using a product of the first step, providing storage for intermittent clean power, producing synthesis gas, a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2), which are used to produce fossil fuel or hydrocarbon that is then recycled to the first step to form a complete loop.