Integrated production of hydrogen, electricity, and heat

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12288908-B2
Application number	US-202318096956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2023
Priority date	Mar 4, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 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 method for coproduction of hydrogen, electrical power, and heat energy, comprising:
desulfurizing a feed stream to form a desulfurized feed stream;
pre-reforming the desulfurized feed stream to form a methane rich gas, wherein the pre-reforming is performed at a steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of about 3 to about 4;
providing the methane rich gas to a membrane separator comprising a water-gas shift catalyst to increase an amount of hydrogen in the methane rich gas, the membrane separator being operated at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C.;
producing a hydrogen stream in a permeate from the membrane separator, wherein the hydrogen is compressed to about 400 bar to about 900 bar and dispensed to a fuel cell vehicle;
providing a retentate stream from the membrane separator to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); and
producing electrical power and heat in the SOFC from the retentate stream.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising mixing a portion of the hydrogen stream with the feed stream prior to desulfurizing the feed stream.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising desulfurizing the feed stream in an adsorption unit.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising heating the retentate stream to an operating temperature for the SOFC prior to providing the retentate stream to the SOFC.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising utilizing the heat produced in the SOFC.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising heating the retentate stream with the heat produced in the SOFC.

7. The method of claim 5 , comprising generating steam with the heat produced in the SOFC.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-gas shift catalyst comprises iron oxides or copper oxides.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-reforming is operated at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separator comprises palladium, or a palladium alloy, or both.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane separator comprises a carbon-based membrane or a zeolite based membrane.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed stream comprises propane or butane.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feed stream comprises liquefied natural gas or raw natural gas.

14. A method for coproduction of hydrogen, electrical power, and heat energy, comprising:
desulfurizing a feed stream to form a desulfurized feed stream;
pre-reforming the desulfurized feed stream to form a methane rich gas, wherein the pre-reforming is performed at a steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of about 3 to about 4;
providing the methane rich gas to a membrane separator comprising a water-gas shift catalyst to increase an amount of hydrogen in the methane rich gas, the membrane separator being operated at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C.;
producing a hydrogen stream in a permeate from the membrane separator;
providing a retentate stream from the membrane separator to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); and
producing electrical power and heat in the SOFC from the retentate stream.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the hydrogen stream has a hydrogen purity of 80 vol. % or greater, the method further comprising purifying the hydrogen stream.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the purifying comprises following the hydrogen stream through a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system comprising an adsorption column filled with a zeolite absorbent.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising compressing the purified hydrogen stream to about 400 bar to about 900 bar.

18. A method for coproduction of hydrogen, electrical power, and heat energy, comprising:
desulfurizing a feed stream to form a desulfurized feed stream;
pre-reforming the desulfurized feed stream to form a methane rich gas, wherein the pre-reforming is performed at a steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of about 3 to about 4;
providing the methane rich gas to a membrane separator comprising a water-gas shift catalyst to increase an amount of hydrogen in the methane rich gas, the membrane separator being operated at a temperature between about 300° C. and about 550° C.;
producing a hydrogen stream in a permeate from the membrane separator;
compressing the hydrogen stream to about 400 bar to about 900 bar;
dispensing the compressed hydrogen stream to a fuel cell vehicle;
providing a retentate stream from the membrane separator to a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC); and
producing electrical power and heat in the SOFC from the retentate stream.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the methane rich gas has a molar ratio of the hydrogen to hydrocarbon between 1:1 and 10:1.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, prior to providing the retentate stream to the SOFC, heating the retentate stream to an operating temperature for the SOFC using the heat produced in the SOFC.

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