Claims
- 1. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon, comprising:
a hydrocarbon stream selected from methane, natural gas, hydrocarbons having from one to about ten carbons therein, and combinations thereof; a plasma torch having at least one pair of electrodes positioned at the inlet end of an axial reactor; an axial reactor chamber disposed within the axial reactor having an inlet end, a chamber length, and an outlet end; a coaxial converging nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the axial reactor chamber; an expansion chamber, the coaxial converging nozzle being disposed between the axial reactor chamber and the expansion chamber; an elemental carbon product and a diatomic hydrogen product, wherein the elemental carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product comprise the majority of product and wherein the diatomic hydrogen product comprises the majority of the elemental carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product; and means for recovering the carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product.
- 2. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, wherein the plasma torch produces a hydrogen plasma gas and the hydrogen plasma gas heats the hydrocarbon stream to an equilibrium state that contains diatomic hydrogen from the hydrocarbon stream within the axial reactor chamber and the plasma extends toward the outlet end.
- 3. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, wherein the coaxial converging nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the axial reactor chamber and the expansion chamber are connected by a diverging nozzle, having an expansion angle greater than about 35°.
- 4. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, wherein the coaxial converging nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the axial reactor chamber and the expansion chamber are connected by a diverging nozzle, having an expansion angle greater than about 35further comprising:
an injector disposed in the diverging nozzle.
- 5. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, wherein the coaxial converging nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the axial reactor chamber is connected to a free expansion chamber.
- 6. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, wherein the coaxial converging nozzle disposed at the outlet end of the axial reactor chamber is connected to a free expansion chamber, further comprising:
an injector disposed in the free expansion chamber.
- 7. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, wherein the means for recovering the carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product further comprises:
a cyclone.
- 8. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
a Fischer-Tropsch process for converting hydrocarbons to synthetic fuel, wherein the wherein the means for recovering the carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product supplies diatomic hydrogen to the Fischer-Tropsch process.
- 9. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
a waste heat exchanger that is flow positioned between the expansion chamber and the means for recovering the carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product.
- 10. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
a means for separating unsaturated hydrocarbons from the end product stream.
- 11. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
a fuel cell that is supplied with the diatomic hydrogen from the end product stream.
- 12. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
a fuel cell that is supplied with the diatomic hydrogen from the end product stream; and a first waste heat exchanger that is flow positioned between the expansion chamber and the fuel cell; and a second waste heat exchanger that is flow positioned after the fuel cell.
- 13. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
an on-board system for an internal combustion engine that is powered by the diatomic hydrogen, wherein the internal combustion engine receives diatomic hydrogen from the means for recovering the carbon product and the diatomic hydrogen product.
- 14. A system for converting a hydrocarbon stream into diatomic hydrogen and elemental carbon according to claim 1, further comprising:
a carbon dioxide source; and a carbon monoxide-producing reactor, wherein the elemental carbon and the carbon dioxide are converted to carbon monoxide.
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of pending application Ser. No. 09/732,451, filed Dec. 6, 2000, which claims priority from United States provisional application Serial No. 60/172,976, filed Dec. 21, 1999.
CONTRACTUAL ORIGIN OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention was made with United States Government support under Contract No. DE-AC07-941D13223, now Contract No. DE-AC07-991D13727 awarded by the United States Department of Energy. The United States Government has certain rights in the invention.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60172976 |
Dec 1999 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09732451 |
Dec 2000 |
US |
Child |
10109427 |
Mar 2002 |
US |