Integration of molten carbonate fuel cells in fischer-tropsch synthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650246-B2
Application number	US-201615183964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

In various aspects, systems and methods are provided for integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process. The molten carbonate fuel cells can be integrated with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process in various manners, including providing synthesis gas for use in producing hydrocarbonaceous carbons. Additionally, integration of molten carbonate fuel cells with a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process can facilitate further processing of vent streams or secondary product streams generated during the synthesis process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for synthesizing hydrocarbonaceous compounds, the system comprising:
a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode comprising an anode inlet for receiving a fuel stream comprising a reformable fuel and comprising an anode outlet from which an anode exhaust is provided, the cathode comprising a cathode inlet for receiving a stream comprising CO2 and O2 and comprising a cathode outlet from which a cathode exhaust is provided,
wherein the anode exhaust comprises H2, CO, H2O, and CO2, and wherein a ratio of H2 to CO in the anode exhaust is at least about 2.5:1.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a Fischer-Tropsch reactor having a reactor inlet and a reactor outlet and being in fluid communication with the anode outlet, so that the reactor inlet receives at least a portion of the anode exhaust, the Fischer-Tropsch reactor further comprising a shifting Fischer-Tropsch catalyst.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a compressor for compressing at least a portion of the anode exhaust prior to the reactor inlet.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein a gaseous product exits from the reactor outlet, the reactor outlet being in fluid communication with the cathode, so as to recycle at least a portion of the gaseous product to the cathode inlet.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the shifting Fischer-Tropsch catalyst comprises Fe.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a water gas shift reaction stage comprising a water gas shift catalyst in fluid communication with the anode outlet, so that at least a portion of the anode exhaust stream can be contacted with the water gas shift catalyst to form a shifted anode exhaust, and further comprising a water removal stage and/or a CO2 removal stage in fluid communication with the water gas shift reaction stage, so that water and CO2 can be removed from at least a portion of the shifted anode exhaust.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a combustion turbine in fluid communication with the cathode inlet, so that at least a portion of an exhaust from the combustion turbine can be fed to the cathode inlet.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of H2:CO in the anode exhaust is at least about 3.0:1.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein an amount of the reformable fuel introduced into the anode, the internal reforming element associated with the anode, or the combination thereof, is at least about 75% greater than an amount of hydrogen reacted in the molten carbonate fuel cell to generate electricity.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of net moles of syngas in the anode exhaust to moles of CO2 in a cathode exhaust is at least about 2.0:1.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises an internal reforming element associated with the anode.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein an amount of a reformable fuel introduced into the anode inlet provides a reformable fuel surplus ratio at the anode outlet of at least about 1.5.

13. The system of claim 2 , wherein a gaseous product exits from the Fischer-Tropsch reactor outlet, the reactor outlet being in fluid communication with the cathode, the anode, or both, so as to recycle at least a portion of the gaseous product to the cathode inlet, to the anode inlet, or to a combination thereof.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Res & Eng Co

Inventors

• Berlowitz Paul J
• Barckholtz Timothy A
• Hershkowitz Frank

Classifications

• Y02P20/129

  Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines · CPC title

• H01M8/0631

  Reactor construction specially adapted for combination reactor/fuel cell (hydrogen C01B3/00; reactors for physicochemical processes B01J19/00) · CPC title

• H01M8/04805

  of fuel cell exhausts · CPC title

• H01M8/04111

  using a compressor turbine assembly · CPC title

• C01B2203/84

  Energy production · CPC title