Integrated production of hydrogen, electricity, and heat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12191543-B2
Application number	US-202117191992-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2021
Priority date	Mar 4, 2021
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A method and a system for the coproduction of hydrogen, electrical power, and heat energy. An exemplary method includes desulfurizing a feed stream to form a desulfurized feed stream, reforming the desulfurized feed stream to form a methane rich gas, and providing the methane rich gas to a membrane separator. A hydrogen stream is produced in a permeate from the membrane separator. A retentate stream from the membrane separator is provided to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Electrical power is produced in the SOFC from the retentate stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A trigeneration facility, comprising:
a desulfurization unit to remove sulfur from a hydrocarbon feed stream forming a desulfurized feed stream, the desulfurization unit comprising a desulfurization catalyst, the desulfurization catalyst comprising a gamma alumina based support, at least one catalytic metal from group VI, at least one catalytic metal from group VIII, and at least one dopant selected from a group consisting of boron, phosphorous, halogen, and silicon;
a pre-reformer to convert the desulfurized feed stream to a methane rich gas, the pre-reformer comprising a steam reformer comprising a nickel catalyst;
a membrane separator to remove at least a portion of hydrogen from the methane rich gas in a permeate, the membrane separator comprising a water-gas shift catalyst to increase an amount of hydrogen in the methane rich gas;
a pressure swing adsorption unit to purify hydrogen in the permeate, providing a purified stream;
a compressed hydrogen stream of about 400 bar to about 900 bar, wherein the compressed hydrogen stream is a fuel stream to a fuel cell vehicle from the purified stream; and
a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to generate electrical power and heat from a retentate from the membrane separator, wherein the retentate comprises methane.

2. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , comprising a heat exchanger to utilize the generated heat.

3. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , comprising a heat exchanger to heat the retentate, using the generated heat, to an operating temperature of the SOFC.

4. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the pre-reformer operates at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C.

5. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the steam reformer operates at a pressure of between about 2 bar and about 30 bar.

6. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the water-gas shift catalyst comprises iron oxides or copper oxides.

7. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separator is a high-temperature hydrogen selective membrane.

8. The trigeneration facility of claim 7 , wherein the membrane separator comprises palladium, or a palladium alloy, or both.

9. The trigeneration facility of claim 7 , wherein the membrane separator comprises a carbon-based membrane, or a zeolite based membrane, or both.

10. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separator comprises an integrated water-gas shift catalyst.

11. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separator comprises a proton conducting material, which is electrically driven to transport the hydrogen to the permeation side.

12. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the feed stream comprises propane, or butane, or both.

13. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the feed stream comprises liquefied natural gas.

14. The trigeneration facility of claim 1 , wherein the feed stream comprises a raw natural gas.

15. A trigeneration facility, comprising:
a desulfurization unit to remove sulfur from a hydrocarbon feed stream forming a desulfurized feed stream;
a pre-reformer to convert the desulfurized feed stream to a methane rich gas;
a membrane separator to remove at least a portion of hydrogen from the methane rich gas in a permeate, the membrane separator comprising a water-gas shift catalyst to increase an amount of hydrogen in the methane rich gas;
a compressed hydrogen stream of about 400 bar to about 900 bar, wherein the compressed hydrogen stream is a fuel stream to a fuel cell vehicle from the trigeneration facility; and
a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to generate electrical power and heat from a retentate from the membrane separator, wherein the retentate comprises methane.

16. A trigeneration facility, comprising:
a desulfurization unit operating at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C. to remove sulfur from a hydrocarbon feed stream forming a desulfurized feed stream;
a pre-reformer operating at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C. to convert the desulfurized feed stream to a methane rich gas;
a membrane separator operating at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C. to remove at least a portion of hydrogen from the methane rich gas in a permeate, the membrane separator comprising a water-gas shift catalyst to increase an amount of hydrogen in the methane rich gas;
a compressed hydrogen stream of about 400 bar to about 900 bar, wherein the compressed hydrogen stream is a fuel stream to a fuel cell vehicle from the trigeneration facility; and
a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) to generate electrical power and heat from a retentate from the membrane separator, wherein the retentate comprises methane.

Assignees

• Saudi Arabian Oil Co

Inventors

• Lee Kunho
• Harale Aadesh
• Pham Thang
• Jamal Aqil
• Khowaiter Ahmad O

Classifications

• C01B3/501

  by diffusion · CPC title

• H01M8/0675

  Removal of sulfur · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0687

  Reactant purification by the use of membranes or filters · CPC title

• H01M8/04014

  Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants · CPC title