Sorbent-enhanced processes for the reaction of fuel to produce hydrogen and related systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12434966-B2
Application number	US-202418642429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2024
Priority date	Nov 7, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

Methods of using sorbents to enhance the production of hydrogen from fuel, and related systems, are generally described. In some embodiments, the production of hydrogen from the fuel involves a reforming reaction and/or a gasification reaction combined with a water-gas shift reaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a reactor configured to react carbon monoxide (CO) in a water-gas shift reaction (WGSR) that generates (i) hydrogen and (ii) carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and
a separator in fluid communication with said reactor, wherein said separator comprises a molten sorbent comprising a salt in molten form, wherein said molten sorbent is configured to capture at least a portion of said CO 2 , thereby obtaining captured CO 2 .

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said CO is produced by reacting a fuel and steam.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein said fuel comprises methane.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein said fuel comprises a hydrocarbon of the form C n H 2n+2 , where n is an integer number.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said reactor further comprises a catalyst.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said separator comprises a CO 2 permeable membrane.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a desorber in fluid communication with said separator, wherein said desorber is configured to release at least a portion of said captured CO 2 from said molten sorbent.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said salt in molten form comprises boron and oxygen.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said salt in molten form comprises an alkali metal borate, A x B 1-x O 1.5-x , where A is an alkali metal, B is Boron, O is Oxygen, and x is a number such that 0<x<1.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said reactor and said separator are located in a single vessel.

11. A method, comprising:
directing carbon monoxide (CO) into a reactor;
in said reactor, reacting said CO in a water gas shift reaction (WGSR) that generates (i) hydrogen and (ii) carbon dioxide (CO 2 ); and
directing a stream comprising said CO 2 from said reactor to a separator in fluid communication with said reactor, wherein said separator comprises a molten sorbent comprising a salt in molten form that captures at least a portion of said CO 2 , thereby obtaining captured CO 2 .

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said CO is produced by reacting a fuel and steam.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said fuel comprises methane.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said fuel comprises a hydrocarbon of the form C n H 2n+2 , where n is an integer number.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said reactor further comprises a catalyst.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said separator comprises a CO 2 permeable membrane.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising directing said captured CO 2 to a desorber, and in said desorber, releasing at least a portion of said captured CO 2 from said molten sorbent.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein said salt in molten form comprises boron and oxygen.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein said salt in molten form comprises an alkali metal borate, A x B 1-x O 1.5-x , where A is an alkali metal, B is Boron, O is Oxygen, and x is a number such that 0<x<1.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein said reactor and said separator are located in a single vessel.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Hatton Trevor Alan
• Harada Takuya
• Halliday Cameron G

Classifications

• C01B3/34

  by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents · CPC title

• C01B2203/86

  Carbon dioxide sequestration · CPC title

• C01B2203/1241

  Natural gas or methane · CPC title

• C01B2203/0811

  by combustion of fuel · CPC title

• C01B2203/0283

  containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step · CPC title