Staged chemical looping process with integrated oxygen generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10663163-B2
Application number	US-201815879135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for enhanced fuel combustion to maximize the capture of by-product carbon dioxide. According to various embodiments of the invention, a method for combusting fuel in a two-stage process is provided, which includes in-situ oxygen generation. In-situ oxygen generation allows for the operation of a second oxidation stage to further combust fuel, thus maximizing fuel conversion efficiency. The integrated oxygen generation also provides an increased secondary reactor temperature, thereby improving the overall thermal efficiency of the process. The means of in-situ oxygen is not restricted to one particular embodiment, and can occur using an oxygen generation reactor, an ion transport membrane, or both. A system configured to the second stage combustion method is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of two-stage combustion integrating in situ oxygen generation, the method comprising:
oxidizing, using an air reactor, a reduced oxygen carrier stream to form an oxidized oxygen carrier stream comprising an oxygen carrier;
separating, in a primary separator, the oxygen carrier and oxygen-depleted air from the oxidized oxygen carrier stream;
producing, in an oxygen generation system comprising an ion transport membrane, gaseous oxygen;
combusting, using a primary fuel reactor, fuel in the presence of the oxygen carrier;
combusting, using a secondary fuel reactor, at least one of an additional fuel supply and an unburned fuel exiting the primary fuel reactor in the presence of the gaseous oxygen produced in the oxygen generation system, wherein the secondary fuel reactor has conveyed to the secondary fuel reactor the oxygen carrier from the air reactor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing comprises oxidizing the reduced oxygen carrier stream using one of a riser reactor and a fluidized bed reactor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combusting comprises combusting the fuel using the primary fuel reactor being one of a fluidized bed reactor and a moving bed reactor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combusting the at least one of the additional fuel supply and the unburned fuel exiting the primary fuel reactor comprises combusting such a fuel using an oxy-fuel boiler or any type of a combustion chamber.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the producing comprises generating the gaseous oxygen in the ion transport membrane of the oxygen generation system for one of internal use or as a utility.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the producing further comprises generating the gaseous oxygen in an oxygen generation reactor of the oxygen generation system for one of internal use or as a utility.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the oxygen carrier leaving the primary separator enters at least one of the primary fuel reactor, the oxygen generation reactor, and the secondary fuel reactor.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the producing comprises generating the gaseous oxygen in the oxygen generation reactor by at least one of increasing pressure of the oxygen generation reactor, adjusting the oxygen generation reactor temperature, and injecting a sweep gas, the sweep gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and steam, in the presence of the oxygen carrier.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: separating, in a secondary separator, the gaseous oxygen and the oxygen carrier.

10. A system for two-stage combustion integrating in situ oxygen generation, the system comprising:
an air reactor configured to oxidize a reduced oxygen carrier stream to form an oxidized oxygen carrier stream comprising an oxygen carrier;
a primary separator configured to separate the oxygen carrier and oxygen-depleted air from the oxidized oxygen carrier stream;
an oxygen generation system comprising an ion transport membrane and configured to produce gaseous oxygen;
a primary fuel reactor configured to combust fuel in the presence of the oxygen carrier; and
a secondary fuel reactor configured to combust at least one of an additional fuel supply and an unburned fuel exiting the primary fuel reactor in the presence of the gaseous oxygen produced in the oxygen generation system, wherein the secondary fuel reactor has conveyed to the secondary fuel reactor the oxygen carrier from the air reactor.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the air reactor comprises one of a riser reactor and a fluidized bed reactor.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the primary fuel reactor comprises one of a fluidized bed reactor and a moving bed reactor.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the secondary fuel reactor further comprises an oxy-fuel boiler or any type of a combustion chamber.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the ion transport membrane is configured to produce the gaseous oxygen by separating oxygen from the oxygen-depleted air leaving the primary separator.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the oxygen generation system further comprises an oxygen generation reactor.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the oxygen carrier leaving the primary separator enters at least one of the primary fuel reactor, the oxygen generation reactor, and the secondary fuel reactor.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the oxygen generation reactor is configured to produce the gaseous oxygen by at least one of increasing pressure of the oxygen generation reactor, adjusting the oxygen generation reactor temperature, and injecting one of a sweep gas, the sweep gas selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide and steam, in the presence of the oxygen carrier.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising: a secondary separator configured to separate the gaseous oxygen and the oxygen carrier.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Niass Tidjani
• Younes Mourad V

Classifications

• F23C99/00

  Subject-matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• C01B13/0248

  Physical processing only · CPC title

• F23C10/01 Primary

  in a fluidised bed of catalytic particles · CPC title

• F23C2900/99008

  Unmixed combustion, i.e. without direct mixing of oxygen gas and fuel, but using the oxygen from a metal oxide, e.g. FeO · CPC title

• F23L7/007

  Supplying oxygen or oxygen-enriched air · CPC title