Chemical Collection Vessel for Offshore Gas-to-Liquid Fuel Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wave energy conversion (WEC) devices face challenges in efficiently producing and transporting chemical fuels to land due to the lack of a subsea electrical cable, requiring complex and costly infrastructure for synthesis, collection, and storage.
Innovation Solution
A buoyant vessel that drifts adjacent to ocean waves, collects and processes hydrogen gas (H2) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) from WECs, converting them into methanol (CH3OH) or using H2 to generate electrical power, and stores or transports these chemicals to shore, simplifying the process and reducing infrastructure costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If gases are compressed to increase density for storage and transportation, then the quantity of substance per volume increases, but additional energy is consumed and vessel strength requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by converting gases to liquids through chemical reactions (e.g., synthesizing liquid methanol from hydrogen and carbon dioxide). This phase change increases density without requiring compression energy, as the liquid form naturally occupies less volume than the gaseous form at ambient conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions by transforming gaseous chemical products into liquid forms through chemical synthesis reactions. This phase transition enables higher density storage and transportation while avoiding the energy-intensive compression process that would be required to maintain gases at high density.
2Reliability
If compressed gases are stored in strong vessels to prevent breaking or leaking, then safety is improved, but vessel cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter from gas to liquid through chemical synthesis. Liquid chemicals can be stored in standard, less expensive vessels without requiring the specialized strong vessels needed for compressed gases, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining safety through conventional storage practices.
3Productivity
If complex infrastructure is used for synthesis, collection, and transport of chemical fuels at sea, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single integrated vessel that performs synthesis, collection, and transport operations. Rather than requiring separate infrastructure systems for each function, the combined vessel design simplifies the overall system while maintaining high productivity through integrated chemical processing and chemical product handling.
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 vessel significantly enhances the efficiency and reduces the cost of collecting and transporting valuable chemicals from WECs by altering gases to liquids, facilitating energy and chemical sharing with consumers on land.
Implementation Method 1
The embodiment uses the HCl in order to facilitate its extraction of carbon dioxide (CO2) from seawater. And, finally, it reacts the H2 and the CO2 in order to synthesize liquid green (i.e. made from renewable sources) methanol (CH3OH)
Implementation Method 2
it uses the HCl in order to facilitate its extraction of carbon dioxide (CO2) from seawater
Implementation Method 3
this embodiment uses the H2 to generate electrical power
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein include a vessel for floating and traveling adjacent to an upper surface of a body of water. In an embodiment, the vessel comprises a support structure, a first floatation chamber coupled to the support structure, a second floatation chamber coupled to the support structure, the second floatation chamber laterally spaced apart from and fluidly coupled to the first floatation chamber, and a third floatation chamber coupled to the support structure, the third floatation chamber laterally spaced apart from the first floatation chamber and from the second floatation chamber. In an embodiment, the vessel further comprises a robot system coupled to the support structure, where the robot system comprises an end effector and a nozzle head coupled to the end effector.