Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell CO2 Capture for Hydrocarbon Facilities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for managing CO2 in hydrocarbon facilities are inefficient, wasteful, and environmentally undesirable, as they either recycle CO2 back to steam reformers, vent it to the atmosphere, or both, leading to energy loss and environmental impact.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) to convert CO2 and O2 into carbonate, which then reacts with hydrogen to generate electricity and high-purity CO2, with subsequent separation to produce a pure CO2 stream.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If CO2 is separated from hydrocarbon streams using conventional methods, then CO2 recovery is achieved, but the CO2 purity is insufficient for EOR operations and additional purification equipment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes specific contaminants (H2S, water, hydrocarbons) from the CO2 stream through dedicated removal units positioned after the primary separation process, achieving high-purity CO2 without requiring complete redesign of the separation system
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces intermediary purification components (desulfurization units, dehydration units, hydrocarbon removal units) that act as mediators between the primary separation process and the EOR injection requirement, progressively cleaning the CO2 stream to achieve desired purity
2Reliability
If CO2 is captured and purified for EOR operations, then environmental benefits are achieved, but the cost of additional equipment and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the CO2 purification process into distinct modular segments (separation, desulfurization, dehydration, hydrocarbon removal), allowing each function to be independently optimized and maintained, thereby managing complexity while ensuring reliable environmental compliance
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adjusts operational parameters (temperature, pressure, chemical composition) at different stages of the purification process to optimize removal efficiency of various contaminants, achieving high-purity CO2 through parameter optimization rather than adding excessive equipment
3Productivity
If CO2 is separated using amine-based absorption, then CO2 recovery is efficient, but the CO2 stream contains contaminants that reduce purity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary CO2 separation using amine-based absorption to efficiently recover CO2 from the hydrocarbon stream, then subsequently removes contaminants from this pre-concentrated CO2 stream, achieving both high recovery and high purity through sequential processing
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
Generates high-purity CO2 and electricity while reducing CO2 emissions, improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The method comprises contacting a hydrocarbon stream containing CO2 with an amine solution in an absorber
Implementation Method 2
The stripped rich amine solution is contacted with steam in a stripper to produce a CO2-rich gas stream and regenerate the amine solution
Implementation Method 3
The dried CO2 stream is contacted with a molecular sieve in a water removal unit to produce a dried CO2 stream having a water content of less than about 10 ppmv
Implementation Method 4
The CO2 stream is contacted with a catalyst in a reaction unit to convert at least a portion of the CO2 stream into a product stream
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of methods for capturing high-purity CO2in a hydrocarbon facility and related systems are provided. The method comprises operating a hydrogen plant (10) to generate a high-purity hydrogen stream and a C02-rich stream with a C02 concentration above 30%; introducing the high-purity hydrogen stream (12) into an anode (22) of a molten carbonate fuel cell (20); introducing the CO2 rich stream (14) and O2 (18) into a cathode (24) of the molten carbonate fuel cell (20); reacting C02 and o2 within the cathode (24) to produce carbonate and a cathode exhaust stream (30) from a cathode outlet (32); reacting carbonate from the cathode (24) with H2 within the anode (22) to produce electricity and an anode exhaust stream (40) from an anode outlet (42), the anode exhaust stream (40) comprising CO2 and H2O; separating the CO2 in the anode exhaust stream (40) in one or more separators (50) to form a pure CO2 stream (52) and a H20 stream (54); and collecting the pure C02 stream.