SOFC Natural Gas Plant With CO2 Sequestration and LNG Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Natural gas power plants emit significant greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, contributing to global warming, and existing solutions do not effectively address the need for zero-emission power generation and efficient carbon sequestration near gas fields.
Innovation Solution
A natural gas power plant utilizing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and turbo-expanders to generate electricity and heat while sequestering carbon dioxide by compressing and injecting it back into geological formations, minimizing transportation costs and emissions, and producing pure liquid natural gas and hydrogen as by-products.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If natural gas is burned in conventional power plants, then electricity is generated, but carbon dioxide emissions contribute to global warming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts carbon dioxide from the combustion exhaust stream using absorption towers with amine-based solvents. The CO2 is separated and concentrated for subsequent compression and geological sequestration, while the cleaned exhaust is released with minimal greenhouse gas content. This extraction principle directly resolves the contradiction by removing the harmful component while preserving electricity generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful carbon dioxide emissions into a beneficial geological storage process. Compressors inject the captured CO2 into underground geological formations for long-term sequestration. The previously harmful emission becomes a controlled storage process that prevents atmospheric pollution while maintaining power generation capabilities.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If carbon dioxide is captured and stored in geological formations, then greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, but transportation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmentation by establishing multiple distributed capture facilities at or near individual gas fields rather than concentrating storage at distant centralized locations. Each facility captures CO2 locally and injects it into adjacent geological formations, dividing the overall sequestration task into smaller regional units. This reduces transportation distances and associated energy losses.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of transporting CO2 from distant power plants to centralized storage sites, the patent inverts the approach by placing capture and storage facilities directly at the source gas fields. The CO2 is captured and stored in situ or in immediately adjacent geological formations, eliminating long-distance transportation requirements and reducing energy losses.
3Quantity of substance
If natural gas is processed to remove carbon dioxide, then cleaner fuel is produced, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the CO2 removal process with the existing natural gas processing infrastructure. The absorption towers and compression systems are integrated into the gas field's existing processing facilities, combining multiple functions (gas conditioning, CO2 capture, and compression) into a unified system. This integration reduces overall processing complexity compared to adding separate standalone removal systems.
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 solution enables zero-atmospheric emission of greenhouse gases, efficient energy use through turbo-expander-driven compression, and the production of valuable by-products like hydrogen and potable water, while providing a temporary solution for reducing carbon dioxide's impact on global warming until alternative energy sources are developed.
Implementation Method 1
A natural gas power plant utilizes solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and turbo-expanders to generate electricity and heat
Implementation Method 2
A natural gas power plant utilizes solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and turbo-expanders to generate electricity and heat
Implementation Method 3
sequestering carbon dioxide by compressing and injecting it back into geological formations
Data Source
AI summary
A zero-emissions power plant receives natural gas from wells at elevated pressure and temperature. Gas is expanded through one or more turbo-expanders, preferably reformed, and sent to a fuel cell where electricity, heat, carbon-dioxide, and water are generated. The carbon-dioxide is compressed by at least one compressor and piped downhole for sequestration. The turbo-expanders have shafts which preferably share the shafts of the compressors. Thus, energy given up by the natural gas in the turbo-expanders is used to run compressors which compress carbon dioxide for downhole sequestration. In one embodiment, the natural gas is applied to heat exchangers in order to generate a stream of liquid natural gas. The remainder of the gas is expanded through the turbo-expanders and processed in the reformer prior to being sent to the fuel cell. A shifter may be used between the reformer and fuel cell. A solid oxide fuel cell is preferred.