Power Plant For Producing Energy And Ammonia

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017291824-A1
Application number	US-201515511261-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Oct 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to power plants. The teachings thereof may be embodied in processes for producing ammonia and energy, e.g., a method for producing ammonia and energy comprising: spraying or atomizing an electropositive metal; burning the metal with a reaction gas; mixing the reacted mixture with water; separating the mixture into (a) solid and liquid constituents and (b) gaseous constituents; at least partially converting energy of the solid and liquid constituents and of the gaseous constituents; and separating ammonia from the gaseous constituents. Mixing the reacted mixture may include spraying or atomizing the water or the aqueous solution or the suspension of the hydroxide of the electropositive metal into the reacted mixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for producing ammonia and energy, the method comprising:
spraying or atomizing an electropositive metal selected from among alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, aluminum and zinc and mixtures and/or alloys thereof; burning the electropositive metal with a reaction gas comprising nitrogen; mixing the reacted mixture of reaction gas and electropositive metal with water or an aqueous solution or suspension of a hydroxide of the electropositive metal; separating the mixture into (a) solid and liquid constituents and (b) gaseous constituents; at least partially converting energy of the solid and liquid constituents and energy of the gaseous constituents; and separating ammonia from the gaseous constituents; wherein mixing the reacted mixture of reaction gas and electropositive metal with water or an aqueous solution or suspension of a hydroxide of the electropositive metal includes spraying or atomizing the water or the aqueous solution or the suspension of the hydroxide of the electropositive metal into the reacted mixture.

2 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein separating the mixture comprises using a cyclone, filter plates, or electrofilters.

3 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least partially converting the energy from the solid and liquid constituents includes using at least one heat exchanger.

4 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of water to nitride formed in the combustion of reaction gas and electropositive metal is greater than 2:1, greater than 3:1, or greater than 3.5:1.

5 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least partially converting the energy from the gaseous constituents into electric energy includes using at least one turbine and at least one generator.

6 . The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising burning the electropositive metal with an excess of nitrogen.

7 . The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising separating excess nitrogen from the gaseous constituents after combustion and recirculating the excess nitrogen for additional combustion.

8 . A system for producing ammonia and energy, the system comprising:
a first reactor for reacting an electropositive metal selected from the group consisting of: alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, aluminum, zinc, mixtures, or alloys thereof, with a reaction gas comprising nitrogen; at least one first spraying device or atomization device for the electropositive metal configured for spraying or atomizing the electropositive metal into the first reactor; at least one first feed device for the electropositive metal, configured for feeding the electropositive metal to the at least one first spraying device or atomization device; at least one second feed device for feeding the reaction gas to the first reactor; a second reactor for mixing the reacted mixture of reaction gas and electropositive metal with water, an aqueous solution, or a suspension of a hydroxide of the electropositive metal; at least one second spraying device, or atomization device for spraying or atomizing water or the aqueous solution or the suspension of the hydroxide of the electropositive metal into the second reactor; at least one third feed device for feeding the water or the aqueous solution or the suspension of a hydroxide of the electropositive metal to the at least one second spraying device or atomization device; a first separation device to separate the mixture into (a) solid and liquid constituents and (b) gaseous constituents; at least one first device for at least partly converting the energy of the solid and liquid constituents; at least one second device for at least partly converting the energy of the gaseous constituents; and a second separation device separating ammonia off from the gaseous constituents.

9 . The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first separation device comprises a cyclone, at least one filter plate, or at least one electrofilter.

10 . The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the at least one first device for converting energy comprises at least one heat exchanger ( 9 a ).

11 . The system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a control device setting the molar ratio of the water or the aqueous solution or the suspension of a hydroxide of the electropositive metal to nitride formed in the combustion of reaction gas and electropositive metal by controlling:
the at least one first feed device for the electropositive metal; or the at least one second feed device for the reaction gas; or the at least one third feed device; wherein the molar ratio of the water or the aqueous solution or the suspension of a hydroxide of the electropositive metal to nitride formed in the combustion of reaction gas and electropositive metal is greater than 2:1, greater than 3:1, or greater than 3.5:1.

12 . The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the at least one second device for converting energy includes at least one turbine and at least one generator for generating electric energy.

13 . The system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second separation device separates off nitrogen from the gaseous constituents.

14 . The system as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising a recirculation device for nitrogen from the second separation device, configured to feed nitrogen from the second separation device to the second feed device for reaction gas comprising nitrogen or to the first reactor.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Eckert Helmut
• Schmid Guenter
• Taroata Dan

Classifications

• B01J19/245

  placed in series · CPC title

• C01C1/026 Primary

  Preparation of ammonia from inorganic compounds · CPC title

• F01D15/10

  Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, electric generators · CPC title

• B01J2208/00902

  Nozzle-type feeding elements · CPC title

• B01J19/26 Primary

  Nozzle-type reactors, i.e. the distribution of the initial reactants within the reactor is effected by their introduction or injection through nozzles · CPC title