Process and apparatus for producing hydrogen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9090984-B2
Application number	US-201214362629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2012
Priority date	Dec 5, 2011
Publication date	Jul 28, 2015
Grant date	Jul 28, 2015

Abstract

A process for producing hydrogen for use in a subsequent methanation process includes electrochemically converting water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is depleted with electrolyte aerosols. Then, the electrolyte aerosols are separated from the depleted hydrogen in a wet electrostatic precipitator in a hydrogen atmosphere.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for producing hydrogen for use in a subsequent methanation process, the process comprising:
electrochemically converting water into hydrogen and oxygen, wherein the hydrogen is depleted with electrolyte aerosols, and then
separating the electrolyte aerosols from the depleted hydrogen in a wet electrostatic precipitator in a hydrogen atmosphere.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is an alkaline electrolyte.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the depleted hydrogen is passed through the precipitator from bottom to top.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the depleted hydrogen is passed through the precipitator counter currently to water sprayed into the precipitator.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the depleted hydrogen is introduced into a lower third of the precipitator.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a discharge electrode is provided within the precipitator and wherein the discharge electrode is insulated from a housing of the precipitator by means of an inert gas buffer.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein a pressure of the inert gas buffer is maintained at a level between an inside pressure of the precipitator and an ambient pressure surrounding the precipitator.

8. The process according to claim 6 , further comprising heating an area around an insulation of the discharge electrode.

9. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising removing oxygen from a hydrogen gas stream in a first catalytic step in a presence of a palladium (Pd) catalyst and producing methane in a subsequent second catalytic step from educts carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein steam is introduced together with CO 2 and hydrogen into the first catalytic step.

11. An electrostatic precipitator for use in a process according to claim 1 , comprising;
a housing,
a discharge electrode,
a collecting electrode,
an inlet for water,
an inlet for depleted hydrogen,
an outlet for water, and
an outlet for purified hydrogen, wherein the discharge electrode is insulated from a ceiling of the housing by an inert gas buffer.

12. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one of: a pressure detector configured to measure a pressure of the inert gas buffer and a hydrogen analysis system configured to measure a hydrogen concentration inside the inert gas buffer.

13. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 11 , wherein the precipitator is vertically oriented.

14. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 11 , further comprising a gas distributor disposed in a lower third of the housing for introducing the depleted hydrogen.

15. The electrostatic precipitator according to claim 11 , having several precipitation modules each comprising a system of a discharge electrode and a collecting electrode.

16. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the alkaline electrolyte is potassium hydroxide.

17. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the depleted hydrogen is introduced into the precipitator through a gas distributor.

Assignees

• Anastasijevic Nikola
• Holst Jan
• Orth Andreas
• Schuster Markus
• Schurtakow Bernd
• Stroeder Michael
• Outotec Finland Oy

Inventors

• Anastasijevic Nikola
• Holst Jan
• Orth Andreas
• Schuster Markus
• Schurtakow Bernd
• Stroeder Michael

Classifications

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C01B3/50

  Separation of hydrogen or hydrogen-containing gases from gaseous mixtures, e.g. purification · CPC title

• B03C3/16 Primary

  wet type · CPC title

• Y02C20/20

  of methane · CPC title