Partial Oxidation Quench Cooling for Carbon Capture Power Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power production methods using solid fuels face challenges in achieving high efficiency while simultaneously capturing carbon dioxide emissions, especially when using solid fuels, due to issues like inert nitrogen gas content in combustion products and the difficulty of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).
Innovation Solution
The use of a partial oxidation (POX) reactor system that combusts solid fuels to produce a POX stream, which is then quenched with a cooling fluid to reduce temperature and separate ash particles, allowing for the recovery of heat and subsequent carbon capture, enabling efficient power generation and CCS.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional combustion methods are used for solid fuels, then power generation can be achieved, but carbon capture and sequestration cannot be simultaneously achieved due to inert nitrogen gas content and other issues
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes inert components (nitrogen, ash) from the combustion system by using gasification to convert solid fuel into a purified gas stream, separating the useful combustible components from the harmful inert components that interfere with carbon capture
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operational parameters by operating the gasifier at specific temperature ranges (800-1500°C) and pressure conditions to optimize the conversion of solid fuel to gas, enabling both high efficiency power generation and effective carbon capture
2Reliability
If the POX stream is cooled to remove ash particles, then carbon deposition and metal dusting are prevented, but heat recovery efficiency may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary cooling to reduce the POX stream temperature to a range (400-800°C) that prevents carbon deposition and metal dusting before the gas enters downstream equipment, thereby protecting the system while still allowing heat recovery at optimized temperature levels
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different temperature levels to different sections of the process: higher temperatures (800-1500°C) in the gasifier for efficient conversion, and controlled lower temperatures (400-800°C) in the cooling section to prevent degradation, optimizing both productivity and reliability
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 enables high efficiency power production with simultaneous carbon capture by quenching the POX stream to a temperature where ash particles can be removed, preventing metal dusting and carbon deposition, and recovering heat for enhanced system efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The POX stream is quenched with a cooling fluid to cool the POX stream from the POX reaction temperature to a quenched POX stream temperature
Implementation Method 2
a partial oxidation (POX) reactor wherein the solid fuel is combusted to produce a POX stream comprising partial oxidation products
Implementation Method 3
The POX reactor is adapted to partially oxidize a liquid or solid fuel in the presence of oxygen to form a POX stream comprising a fuel gas
Implementation Method 4
recovering heat for enhanced system efficiency
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a power production system that is adapted to achieve high efficiency power production with complete carbon capture when using a solid or liquid hydrocarbon or carbonaceous fuel. More particularly, the solid or liquid fuel first is partially oxidized in a partial oxidation reactor. The resulting partially oxidized stream that comprises a fuel gas is quenched, filtered, cooled, and then directed to a combustor of a power production system as the combustion fuel. The partially oxidized stream is combined with a compressed recycle CO2 stream and oxygen. The combustion stream is expanded across a turbine to produce power and passed through a recuperator heat exchanger. The expanded and cooled exhaust stream is scrubbed to provide the recycle CO2 stream, which is compressed and passed through the recuperator heat exchanger and the POX heat exchanger in a manner useful to provide increased efficiency to the combined systems.