Direct reduced iron system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12060622-B2
Application number	US-202117533480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2021
Priority date	Jan 7, 2021
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A method of direct reduction of iron (DRI) is disclosed, the method comprising generating metallic iron by removing oxygen from iron ore using a reducing gaseous mixture with excess carbon monoxide that produces an excess CO 2 by-product is provided. CO 2 by-product is optionally sequestered. A system for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

First claim

We claim:

1. A direct reduction of iron (DRI) system comprising:
a partial oxidation unit (PDX) configured to produce a reducing gaseous mixture;
a direct reduction unit configured to receive a source of iron ore and the reducing gaseous mixture feed comprising at least hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide;
a scrubber unit configured to receive a top gas feed from the direct reduction unit,
a top gas separator unit to receive the top gas feed from the scrubber unit and to provide a carbon dioxide by-product feed and an unreacted hydrogen and carbon monoxide feed,
a process gas separator unit configured to receive the unreacted hydrogen and/or unreacted carbon monoxide from the top gas separator unit and to provide a carbon monoxide feed and an essentially pure hydrogen feed;
a CO 2 geological sequestering unit configured to receive the carbon dioxide by-product feed from the scrubber unit; and
a hydrogen storage unit configured to receive and store the essentially pure hydrogen feed.

2. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 1 , wherein the reducing gaseous mixture feed comprises hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

3. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 2 , wherein the carbon monoxide feed from the process gas separator is recycled to the reducing gaseous mixture feed.

4. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 1 , further comprising a drying unit configured to receive the CO 2 by-product feed and/or further comprising a compressor configured to receive the CO 2 by-product.

5. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 4 , wherein the compressor is configured to provide supercritical CO 2 to a pipeline for geological sequestering.

6. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 1 , wherein CO 2 geological sequestering unit is coupled to one or more subterranean oil reservoirs, natural gas deposits, un-mineable coal deposits, saline formations, shale, and basalt formations.

7. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 1 , wherein the essentially pure hydrogen feed is from a pressure swing absorption unit or a cryogenic unit and is at least 96% pure.

8. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 1 , further comprising an electric arc furnace configured to receive the metallic iron.

9. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 8 , wherein the electric arc furnace is configured to receive the metallic iron continuously or semi-continuously.

10. The direct reduction of iron system of claim 8 , wherein the system is closed loop.

11. A retrofit system for a direct reduction of iron (DRI) unit comprising:
a partial oxidation unit (PDX) configured to produce a reducing gaseous mixture;
a scrubber unit configured to receive a top gas feed from a direct reduction unit, the top gas feed resulting from the reaction of the reducing gaseous mixture and iron ore in the direct reduction unit,
a top gas separator unit to receive the top gas feed from the scrubber unit and to provide a carbon dioxide by-product feed and an unreacted hydrogen and carbon monoxide feed,
a process gas separator unit configured to receive the unreacted hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide from the top gas separator unit and to provide a carbon monoxide feed and an essentially pure hydrogen feed; and
a CO 2 geological sequestering unit configured to receive the carbon dioxide by-product feed from the scrubber unit; and
a hydrogen storage unit configured to receive and store the essentially pure hydrogen feed from a pressure swing absorption unit or a cryogenic unit.

Assignees

• Nucor Corp

Inventors

• True Brad
• Leveen Lindsay
• Motamedhashemi Mirmohammadyousef

Classifications

• C01B2203/0255

  containing a non-catalytic partial oxidation step · CPC title

• C10L2270/04

  for turbines, planes, power generation · CPC title

• C10L2200/043

  Kerosene, jet fuel · CPC title

• C10G2400/08

  Jet fuel · CPC title

• C01B2203/062

  Hydrocarbon production, e.g. Fischer-Tropsch process · CPC title