Waste Plastic and Refinery Feed Conversion With Green Hydrogen
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydrocarbon processing methods do not effectively utilize renewable energy sources to convert waste plastics and refinery by-products into valuable chemicals and fuels while minimizing carbon emissions.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing electrolysis powered by renewable energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen, which are used in gasification and hydroprocessing to convert waste plastics and refinery by-products into syngas, followed by water-gas shift and hydrogenation processes to produce clean fuels and chemicals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional hydrocarbon processing methods are used, then existing processing capacity is maintained, but renewable energy utilization and waste conversion efficiency are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple processing functions into an integrated system where gasification, water-gas shift, and hydroprocessing units work together. This merging enables simultaneous conversion of waste plastics and refinery by-products into syngas, hydrogen, and valuable chemicals while utilizing renewable energy, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining processing capacity and improving renewable energy utilization with waste conversion efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydroprocessing unit serves multiple functions: it processes both waste plastics and refinery by-products, produces hydrogen through hydrocarbon decomposition, generates valuable chemicals, and utilizes renewable energy. This multi-functionality allows the system to improve renewable energy utilization without sacrificing waste conversion efficiency, as a single unit handles diverse feedstocks and produces multiple products.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If waste plastics and refinery by-products are converted into valuable chemicals and fuels, then carbon emissions are reduced, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the waste conversion process into distinct sequential stages: gasification unit for syngas production, water-gas shift unit for hydrogen enrichment, and hydroprocessing unit for final product synthesis. This segmentation allows each unit to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall process complexity while achieving carbon emission reduction through systematic waste-to-chemicals conversion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces syngas as an intermediate product between waste feedstocks and final chemicals/fuels. The gasification unit converts waste plastics and refinery by-products into syngas, which then serves as the feedstock for subsequent hydroprocessing. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall process by breaking down the complex direct conversion into manageable steps, reducing carbon emissions while controlling process complexity.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If green hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using renewable energy, then carbon footprint is reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrocarbon feedstock processed in the hydroprocessing unit serves as a self-generated hydrogen source through decomposition reactions. This internally produced hydrogen supplements or replaces the need for externally supplied green hydrogen from electrolysis, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption associated with hydrogen production while maintaining the carbon footprint reduction benefits of using renewable energy for electrolysis when green hydrogen is produced.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines green hydrogen production through electrolysis with in-situ hydrogen generation from hydrocarbon decomposition in the hydroprocessing unit. This merging of hydrogen sources allows the system to reduce carbon footprint through renewable energy utilization while optimizing energy consumption by leveraging the hydrogen produced from waste feedstock processing, thereby resolving the contradiction between carbon footprint reduction and energy consumption.
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 the conversion of waste plastics and refinery by-products into valuable chemicals and fuels with a reduced carbon footprint, utilizing green hydrogen and capturing carbon dioxide for further conversion into useful products, thereby supporting a sustainable energy transition.
Implementation Method 1
An electrolysis unit receives electrical power derived from a renewable energy source. The electrolysis unit splits water into oxygen and hydrogen using the received electrical power to produce an oxygen stream including the oxygen and a hydrogen stream including the hydrogen.
Implementation Method 2
A gasification unit partially oxidizes a gasification feed stream using at least a portion of the oxygen stream to produce a syngas stream including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen.
Implementation Method 3
A water-gas shift unit reacts at least a portion of the carbon monoxide of the syngas stream with water to produce additional carbon dioxide and hydrogen, thereby producing a shifted syngas stream that has a greater hydrogen content than the syngas stream.
Implementation Method 4
A hydroprocessing unit reacts a hydrocarbon feed stream with at least a portion of the hydrogen of the shifted syngas stream and a first portion of the hydrogen stream produced by the electrolysis unit to remove non-carbon impurities from the hydrocarbon feed stream and break carbon-carbon bonds in the hydrocarbon feed stream
Implementation Method 5
A hydrogenation reactor hydrogenates at least a portion of the carbon dioxide of the shifted syngas stream using a second portion of the hydrogen stream produced by the electrolysis unit to produce a product stream including a hydrocarbon, an oxygenate, or both.
Data Source
AI summary
Electrical power derived from a renewable energy source is used to perform electrolysis of water to produce oxygen and hydrogen. A feed stream includes consumer waste plastics, a waste stream from a hydrocarbon refinery, or both. The feed stream is partially oxidized to produce syngas. At least a portion of the carbon monoxide of the syngas is reacted with water to produce additional carbon dioxide and hydrogen. A hydrocarbon feed stream is hydroprocessed using at least a portion of the hydrogen generated by electrolysis and at least a portion of the hydrogen from the syngas to produce a hydroprocessing product stream including a saturated hydrocarbon. At least a portion of the carbon dioxide of the syngas is hydrogenated using at least a portion of the hydrogen generated by electrolysis to produce a product stream including a hydrocarbon, an oxygenate, or both.