Patent Application
20170166503
The present application relates to a method and an apparatus for providing a hydrogen-based methanol. Key aspects of the invention are ecological, economic and security considerations.
Some experts are propagating so-called “electric mobility” as the solution to overcome many of today's environmental problems caused by the emission of carbon dioxide, NOx and other harmful pollutions. There is one important issue, however, which is causing a serious delay of the success of electric vehicles.
In order to make the electric power available at many different locations, the electric power grid needs to be extended and upgraded. The required investment in the grid infrastructure is going to be huge. In some countries, there is a certain consumer resistance against the installation of additional pylons, power lines and transformers.
Partnerships were forged with communities, governments, and key industry actors in order to develop plans and in order to create the infrastructure needed. But there is still a long way to go.
This means that there is an immediate need for solutions which help to provide for a transition from today's petrol and diesel based economy to clean energy solutions. The electric mobility might eventually be one contribution towards a clean energy solution. The hydrogen mobility, which is propagated and supported by some experts, could be another clean energy solution.
It is believed that methanol, in particular synthetic methanol, is going to become an important if not essential element of the above-mentioned transition.
There are a number of patent applications and patents which relate to the production of methanol. See for example:
Carbon dioxide CO2 is a chemical compound comprising carbon and oxygen. Since the beginning of industrialization, the CO2 component in the atmosphere has significantly risen. The main causes of this are the CO2 emissions caused by humans—so-called anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The carbon dioxide in the atmosphere absorbs a part of the thermal radiation. This property makes carbon dioxide a so-called greenhouse gas (GHG) and one of the contributing causes of the global greenhouse effect.
For these and other reasons, research and development is currently being performed in greatly varying directions in order to find a way to reduce the anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In particular in connection with power generation, which is frequently performed by the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, or gas, but also with other combustion processes. For example, in garbage burning, there is a great demand for reduction of the CO2 emission. Currently, approximately 30 billion tons of CO2 are discharged into the atmosphere per year by such processes.
It is considered to be a problem that CO2 arises during the combustion of fossil fuels. In addition, the fossil resources, which are finite, are irrevocably consumed. Therefore, research is being performed in greatly varying directions in order to reduce the consumption of vehicles or to develop vehicles which are driven completely using regenerative power.
Methanol is a particularly advantageous substrate, since it is fully soluble in water and is easily biologically degradable. However, methanol has been produced up to this point from fossil raw materials, for example, from natural gas in most cases. Numerous methods and reactors for producing methanol are known. Corresponding exemplary patent applications and patents are listed hereafter:
For the applications mentioned at the beginning, the demand exists for the provision of methanol which is CO2-neutral and cost-effective to produce. In addition, the methanol production is not to compete with food production and is not to require agricultural land, as in the production from biomass.
The object presents itself of developing a corresponding method and a corresponding apparatus for providing methanol especially for the purpose to provide ecologically and economically mobility solutions.
Therefore, a novel method is proposed according to the invention, which relates to the production of synthetic methanol and preferably with the consumption of synthetic methanol in vehicles.
The method comprises the following steps:
The method and apparatus presented herein will become an essential part of a smarter and more sustainable future. The method and apparatus presented herein offer multiple environmental, economic, and energy system benefits.
The invention presented herein is considered to be a transformative technology and enables a business model which will help in the transition towards an electric mobility and possibly also a hydrogen technology.
The invention offers an innovative solution which is going to create new opportunities for electric mobility and for other forms of mobility in the future.
The goal of the invention is also to provide a system which functions autonomously, i.e., independently of the power grid. In particular, this relates to a method in which at least the power requirement, which exists in order to provide the hydrogen component (H2) electrolytically, is generated locally in a water power plant (called hydroelectric power plant) or in its immediate surroundings. In preferred embodiments, the power required for other components/facilities (e.g. the reactor) of the on-site facility is provided by the hydroelectric power plant, too.
It is an economic advantage of the inventive solution that no fees or other charges need to be paid for using the regular power grid. These fees or charges are typically charged for the transmission of electric energy e.g. from a remote power plant to a local consumer.
It is an advantage of the invention that is can be realized as a stand-alone plant which can be located directly near by the sources of renewable electrical energy, namely a water power plant.
Preferred embodiments of the inventive on-site plant are designed so that they work independently from any other industrial infrastructure, such as the power grid.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention, the carbon-containing gas is delivered to the on-site plant in cryogenic and pure condition. Preferably, CO2 from biogenic sources is used as carbon-containing gas in connection with all embodiments of the invention.
The power is preferably generated in a steady stream water power plant because such a plant is designed to steadily provide electric output power.
Preferred embodiments of the invention use decentralized units for the production of methanol. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the water power plant and the methanol production facility are specifically designed for the purpose of producing synthetic methanol from electrically produced hydrogen.
The methanol, which is produced on-site of a water power plant, is advantageously being used a neutral synthetic fuel (e.g. in an engine which is specifically designed or adapted for the combustion of methanol) or it can be used for blending with another fuel (e.g. petrol) or it can be used for mixing with diesel and/or injection into a diesel engine.
The methanol, however, could also be used as fuel for fuel cells.
Preferably, the on-site plant of the invention is designed for continuous operation. It shuts down or reduces its power consumption only to perform maintenance or repair or, if needed, because of a reduced availability of water resources.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it is independent of the electric power grid. This could be an advantage for instance if the power grid is disturbed or down because of a cyber-attack or if the infrastructure of a power grid has been destroyed during a severe storm, or if it is damaged by a geo-magnetic storm from the sun or by a direct physical attack.
It is a further advantage of the invention that a water power plant can be erected at remote locations where no connection to the national power grid is feasible. The respective power plant together with a methanol production facility, in accordance with the present invention, in this case would form a independent solution which would function even if other elements of the national or transnational infrastructure for some reason is not available.
The electric power which is required for electric mobility cannot be handled by the existing power grid infrastructure. The present invention helps to establish and independent infrastructure and a related business model which will become an essential element of the future mobility. There are too many solutions which are depending on the existing infrastructure and which will be as vulnerable as this infrastructure is.
The invention is thus going to improve a region's or country's independence and it guarantees mobility even if other infrastructure is harmed or destroyed.
There is also the advantage that the production, distribution and use of synthetic methanol is not in competition with the production of grain or other comestible goods, as is the case with bio-ethanol and other fuels produced from the crops in fast growing woods or other economic plants, for instance.
Another advantage is the fact that, due to the local production of synthetic methanol, the dependence on oil-producing countries is going to be reduced.
Alternatively, the hydrogen component (H2) can to some extent be generated directly from methane-containing gas, for example. In this case, the electrolyser can have a smaller dimension/capacity and the electric power consumption is going to be reduced. In other words, a combination of an electrolysis plant and hydrogen provision from locally existing gas is also possible.
The invention is intentionally based on carbon dioxide and hydrogen as the starting materials, since the carbon dioxide is “recycled” in this way. This helps to improve the carbon-footprint.
The carbon dioxide can be obtained from exhaust gases or generated from biomass, so that the methanol, which is synthesized from these starting materials catalytically, can be considered to be CO2-neutral.
According to the invention, synthesis gas which comprises H2 and CO2 is converted efficiently and in an economically advisable manner into methanol.
According to the invention, the carbon dioxide is caused to react with the hydrogen component in the presence of a catalyst, in order to convert it into a methanol-water mixture. The respective process step is thus referred to as synthesizing a methanol containing liquid in a catalytic-synthetic way.
The carbon dioxide is preferably taken from a combustion process or an oxidation process of carbon or hydrocarbons by means of CO2 separation. For example, CO2 can originate from a local fabrication plant. If the CO2 originates from a local fabrication plant, the plant according to the invention is fully autonomous, since neither energy nor other materials must be externally delivered or supplied depending on the design of the plant and depending on the environmental conditions.
The method according to the invention for providing the methanol-containing liquid is controlled by an appropriate process control and the individual processes are technically “linked” to one another so that
Locally provided power is essential for the invention to give an competitive edge.
Using a corresponding plant, a methanol-water mixture is preferably produced as a liquid which can be stored and transported. The locally provided electric power and/or renewable power is chemically converted into a liquid which is relatively simple to store and transport. This liquid (called methanol-containing liquid) is preferably used for driving vehicles.
The production of the methanol-containing liquid as a mixture which can be stored and transported relatively simply can be phased down or even interrupted at any time. The processing plant parts for producing the methanol-containing liquid can be phased down or shut down relatively easily and rapidly. The ultimate decision is in the scope of responsibility of the operator of the plant.
All embodiments of the invention are based on the hydrogen generation with the aid of electrical energy, which is locally (i.e., on site in the area of a water power plant) generated. Hydrogen which is generated on site via electrolysis and/or from waste materials, for example, does not need to be stored or highly compressed or cryogenically liquefied and transported over long distances, but rather serves as an intermediate product, which is preferably supplied at the location of its generation immediately or soon to the above-mentioned reaction to generate methanol.
A novel method relevant to power engineering is provided according to the invention in consideration of corresponding power engineering, industrial, and economic parameters, together with the requirement for careful use of all material, energetic, and economic resources.
Further advantageous embodiments can be inferred from the description, the figures, and the dependent claims.
Various aspects of the invention are schematically shown in the drawings.
The invention relates to methanol-water mixtures (MeOH1) and to pure methanol MeOH. The methanol-water mixture MeOH1 is also referred to as methanol-containing liquid.
The term mixture MeOH1 is used here since the product which is provided at the output side 42 of a reactor 40 (see
A preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted in
The method of the invention is specifically designed for providing a methanol containing liquid MeOH1. Details are illustrated in
The electrolyzer 20 and the catalytic reactor 40 are part of an on-site facility 100.1 (see
The on-site plant, which includes the facilities 100.1 and 100.2, comprises a number of energy consumers. The most important consumers are described hereinafter. There is a number of other elements which are powered by electric energy and which are necessary for the plant 100.1, 100.2 to operate reliably. Examples are pumps, sensors, heating elements, computers, electrical cabinets and so forth. In a preferred embodiment of the invention all these elements are powered by the water power plant 200.
The electrolyzer 20 of plant 100.1, 100.2 has the highest consumption of electric power since it splits water into hydrogen gas H2 and oxygen gas O2. The electrolyzer 20 is by far the largest consumer of electric energy. Preferably, an electrolyzer 20 is used which is operated with direct current. The substation 110 thus comprises at least one rectifier which is suitable to provide the right electric power E1 to the terminals of the electrolyzer 20. In
The second largest consumer is the reactor 40 with its peripheral elements, such as heater 43, pumps, valves, sensors and so forth. The chemical reaction takes place while starting material Sy (preferably a syngas) travels through the catalytic reactor 40. The catalyzer inside the reactor 40 boosts/supports the chemical reaction by means of which the methanol containing liquid MeOH1 is synthesized in a catalytic-synthetic way. The reaction as such as an exothermal reaction which does not consume external energy. However, for this reaction to be initiated and maintained, certain conditions are to be ensured. There needs to be a well-defined temperature inside the reactor 40 and the pressure is to be within a certain range. When initiating the chemical reaction, energy might have to be provided to trigger the process. Once the process is running, excess energy in the form of heat is provided which needs to be removed in order to ensure a stable operation of the reactor 40. As indicated in
In addition, a compressor 32 (see
The plant 100.1, 100.2 of all embodiments of the invention is either designed in order to provide just the methanol-containing liquid MeOH1 at the output-side 42 of the reactor 20, or it is designed to provide pure methanol MeOH at the output side 63 of a distiller 50. If needed, the plant 100.1, 100.2 might also be designed so as to provide the methanol-containing liquid MeOH1 as well as pure methanol MeOH.
The electrolyzer 20 and/or the catalytic reactor 40 are operated in an off-line mode, preferably in a fully autonomous off-line mode. A fully autonomous mode is a mode where no electric energy is supplied from outside the plant. In this case the plant 100.1, 100.2 together with the plant 200 form an isolated application.
In a less preferred embodiment, some auxiliary energy might be provided from the outside so as to be able to run for instance the computers, networks, monitoring systems and the like if the water power plant 200 should be in a maintenance mode.
The larger-scale power consumers of the plant 100.1, 100.2 should not be supplied by electric energy from the outside.
That is, at least the electrolyzer 20 and/or the catalytic reactor 40 are operated in an off-line mode, preferably in a fully autonomous off-line mode. The expression off-line refers to the fact that these systems 20 and/40 are totally independent from the power grid or (high-)voltage grid.
Preferably, the carbon dioxide gas CO2, which serves as carbon-containing gas, and the hydrogen gas H2 are mixed so as to form a synthesis gas Sy, as illustrated in
These steps are being carried out on-site and are preferably electrically powered by the power plant 200. Preferably the carbon dioxide gas CO2 and the hydrogen gas H2 are combined with respective ratios so that the synthesis gas Sy at the output side 31 of the respective mixer 30 comprises 1 mole of carbon dioxide gas per 1 mole of the hydrogen gas.
Preferably, there is a pre-heater 43 employed at the input side 41 of the reactor 40, as illustrated in
The reactor 40 might be cooled and/or heated by a circulating fluid (preferably water). The respective fluid connection carries the reference number 46 in
Preferably, there is a heater 44 included in the fluid system, as indicated in
In a preferred embodiment, there is a buffer tank 60 provided at the output side 42 of the reactor 40. This tank 60 can for instance be used to (temporarily) store the methanol-containing liquid MeOH1. The tank 60, if present, is preferably situated between the reactor 40 and a distiller 50, as shown in
The distiller 50 is employed in order to increase the concentration of the methanol in the methanol-containing liquid MeOH1. Out an output 63 of the distiller 50 pure methanol MeOH is provided.
In a preferred embodiment, there is a buffer tank 61 provided at the output side 42 of the distiller 50. This tank 61 can for instance be used to (temporarily) store the methanol MeOH. In the present example, the methanol MeOH is made available at an output 62 (see
In preferred embodiments, this distiller 50 is electrically powered by the power plant 200. It might also be powered by (waste) heat of some other process of the plant 100.1, 100.2. In
In a preferred embodiment, the oxygen gas O2, which is produced by the electrolyzer 20, is introduced into the water reservoir or stream of the power plant 200 so as to improve the water quality and/or the oxygen gas O2 is introduced into the water downstream of the power plant 200 to increase the oxygen content for a healthier flora and fauna. In
The following constellation is particularly favorable because it combines the advantages of the methanol production plant 100.1, 100.2 driven/supplied by a power plant 200 with a new and independent distribution approach for the methanol MeOH1 and/or MeOH.
A solution takes advantage of the invention where the MeOH1 and/or MeOH is filled into small containers 72 for use inside a vehicle 80 (see
Preferred embodiments of the container 72 are designed so that the respective container 72 can be plugged into a vehicle 80 so that MeOH1 and/or MeOH is made available inside the vehicle 80 if needed.
The vehicle 80 could be an electrically powered car which carries batteries and an electric engine. This vehicle 80 in addition comprises a small combustion engine which is specifically designed so as to by fueled by MeOH1 and/or MeOH from the container 72. The combustion engine is mechanically connected to an electric generator in order to produce electric power if needed inside the vehicle 80. This setup is similar to what is known as range extender.
It is an advantage that for most purposes the vehicle 80 can be used in the electric mode where power is taken from the battery pack. If the vehicle 80 is used for a longer distance or for a longer period of time, a sufficient number of containers 72 are taken onboard so as to obtain the required independence as far as the range is concerned.
The containers 72 may also be used in cases where the MeOH1 and/or MeOH is used inside a vehicle 80 for cooling the intake air of a combustion engine or for cooling the compressed air of an (electrically powered) compressor of a combustion engine.
Instead of the distribution by means of containers 72 (see left hand side of
The vehicle 80 might comprise a bay or port for receiving a nozzle 73 of the container 72. If the container 72 is inserted into the bay or port, it might be connected to a tank 82, as depicted in
The tank 82 might have a fluid connection 83 (e.g. a fuel pipe with pump) to the combustion engine 81, as depicted in
Details of a respective container and of a vehicle using such a container are given in the published patent application EP2758317.
In addition to ecological advantages, sustained cost advantages also result through the invention.
