Methane synthesis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025361637-A1
Application number	US-202218866566-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2022
Priority date	Jul 15, 2022
Publication date	Nov 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A methane synthesis system according to the present disclosure includes: a co-electrolysis part that obtains hydrogen and carbon monoxide by electrolyzing water and carbon dioxide, a methanation reaction part that obtains a product gas containing methane by a methanation reaction that uses the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide, and a cooler having a distribution channel in which a refrigerant capable of phase transition, is distributed. The cooler cools the methanation reaction part using heat of vaporization from vaporizing at least a portion of the refrigerant on an inside of the distribution channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A methane synthesis system comprising:
a co-electrolysis part that obtains hydrogen and carbon monoxide by electrolyzing water and carbon dioxide; a methanation reaction part that obtains a product gas containing methane by a methanation reaction that uses the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide; and a cooler having a distribution channel in which a refrigerant capable of phase transition, is distributed, wherein the cooler cools the methanation reaction part using heat of vaporization from vaporizing at least a portion of the refrigerant on an inside of the distribution channel, and lowers a temperature at an outlet of the methanation reaction part, more than a temperature at an inlet thereof.

2 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the refrigerant is a fluid that contains water.

3 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 2 further comprising:
a supply route that guides the refrigerant as the water, which passes through the cooler, to the co-electrolysis part.

4 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 3 ,
wherein an ejector that takes in the carbon dioxide, with the water as a working fluid, is provided on the supply route.

5 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 2 further comprising:
a separator that separates water from the product gas, and
a capture route that guides the water separated at the separator as the refrigerant to the cooler.

6 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 5 ,
wherein a heat exchanger is provided on the capture route, and heats the water by conducting heat exchange with oxygen produced by co-electrolysis of the water and the carbon dioxide at the co-electrolysis part.

7 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a separator that separates a fluid that contains the methane from the product gas, and
a methane purifier that purifies the methane contained in the fluid, and obtains a purified product gas.

8 . The methane synthesis system according to claim 7 further comprising:
a return route that returns a residual gas obtained from separating the purified product gas from the fluid that contains the methane, to the methanation reaction part.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Shinoki Toshio
• Onaka Yoji
• Nakashima Seiji
• Kawamoto Makoto
• Tanishima Makoto

Classifications

• C10L2290/10

  Recycling of a stream within the process or apparatus to reuse elsewhere therein · CPC title

• C10L2290/38

  Applying an electric field or inclusion of electrodes in the apparatus · CPC title

• C10L2290/06

  Heat exchange, direct or indirect · CPC title

• C10L3/08

  Production of synthetic natural gas · CPC title

• C09K5/04

  the change of state being from liquid to vapour or vice versa · CPC title