Hydrogen production apparatus and hydrogen production method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776862-B2
Application number	US-201615052566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a hydrogen production apparatus enabling reduction of energy needed for separation and collection of CO 2 in the hydrogen production. The hydrogen production apparatus includes a reformer, a heating device heating the reformer, a transformer, a hydrogen separation device separating and taking out hydrogen from transformed gas, a CO 2 separation device separating and taking out CO 2 from off-gas from which hydrogen was separated by the hydrogen separation device, a heat collecting device collecting heat of the reformed gas, heat of the transformed gas, and waste heat from the heating device, and a heat medium supply device supplying the heat medium having absorbed heat collected by the heat collecting device to the CO 2 separation device. The absorption liquid having absorbed CO 2 in off-gas is heated by the heat medium heated with collected heat, thereby releasing CO 2 .

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hydrogen production apparatus comprising:
a reformer configured to cause a reforming reaction to occur between hydrocarbon and water vapor so as to generate CO and hydrogen;
a heating device configured to heat the reformer so as to cause the reforming reaction to proceed;
a transformer configured to cause a transformation reaction of CO in reformed gas generated by the reformer that contains CO and hydrogen, with water vapor, so as to generate hydrogen and CO 2 ;
a hydrogen separation device configured to separate and take out out hydrogen from transformed gas generated by the transformation reaction that contains hydrogen and CO 2 ;
a CO 2 separation device configured to separate and take out CO 2 from off-gas that is gas remaining after hydrogen is separated from the transformed gas by the hydrogen separation device;
a heat collecting device configured to collect at least one among heat of the reformed gas, heat of the transformed gas, and waste heat from the heating device; and
a heat supply device configured to supply heat collected by the heat collecting device to the CO 2 separation device,
wherein the reformer, the transformer, the hydrogen separation device and the CO 2 separation device are connected in series in a downstream direction;
the heat collecting device is provided at least at one of locations between the reformer and the transformer and between the transformer and the hydrogen separation device;
the heat supply device is provided between the heat collecting device and the CO2 separation device; and
wherein the CO 2 separation device includes:
a capturing unit configured to capture CO 2 in the off-gas with use of a capturing agent that absorbs or adsorbs CO 2 ; and
a heating unit configured to heat a capturing agent after capture that is the capturing agent after capturing CO 2 , by utilizing heat supplied from the heat supply device, in order to cause the capturing agent after capture to release CO 2 , thereby taking out CO 2 therefrom.

2. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heat collecting device includes a waste heat collection unit that collects waste heat from the heating device.

3. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,
the heat collecting device includes a heat absorption processing unit that causes heat medium to absorb at least one among the heat of the reformed gas, the heat of the transformed gas, and the waste heat from the heating device,
the heat supply device includes a heat medium supply device that supplies the heat medium having absorbed heat to the heating unit, and
the heating unit heats the capturing agent after capture by imparting, to the capturing agent after capture, heat of the heat medium supplied from the heat medium supply device.

4. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 3 ,
the capturing agent is absorption liquid that is capable of absorbing CO 2 from the off-gas,
the capturing unit is an absorption processing unit that causes the absorption liquid to absorb CO 2 in the off-gas,
the CO 2 separation device includes a releasing unit provided with a release flow passage that, while allowing absorption liquid after absorption that is the absorption liquid having absorbed CO 2 in the absorption processing unit to flow therethrough, causes the absorption liquid after absorption to release CO 2 ,
the heating unit includes a heat medium flow passage that allows the heat medium supplied from the heat medium supply device to flow therethrough in such a manner that the heat medium exchanges heat with the absorption liquid after absorption flowing through the release flow passage, and
both of the release flow passage and the heat medium flow passage are microchannels.

5. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heat collecting device includes a heat storage unit that stores collected heat, and
the heat supply device supplies the heat stored in the heat storage unit to the heating unit.

6. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein,
the heat collecting device includes a heat absorption processing unit that causes heat medium to absorb at least one among the heat of the reformed gas, the heat of the transformed gas, and the waste heat from the heating device,
the heat supply device includes a heat medium supply device that supplies the heat medium having absorbed heat to the heating unit, and
the heating unit heats the capturing agent after capture by imparting, to the capturing agent after capture, heat of the heat medium supplied from the heat medium supply device.

7. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 6 ,
the capturing agent is absorption liquid that is capable of absorbing CO 2 from the off-gas,
the capturing unit is an absorption processing unit that causes the absorption liquid to absorb CO 2 in the off-gas,
the CO 2 separation device includes a releasing unit provided with a release flow passage that, while allowing absorption liquid after absorption that is the absorption liquid having absorbed CO 2 in the absorption processing unit to flow therethrough, causes the absorption liquid after absorption to release CO 2 ,
the heating unit includes a heat medium flow passage that allows the heat medium supplied from the heat medium supply device to flow therethrough in such a manner that the heat medium exchanges heat with the absorption liquid after absorption flowing through the release flow passage, and
both of the release flow passage and the heat medium flow passage are microchannels.

8. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the heat collecting device includes a heat absorption processing unit that causes heat medium to absorb at least one among the heat of the reformed gas, the heat of the transformed gas, and the waste heat from the heating device,
the heat supply device includes a heat medium supply device that supplies the heat medium having absorbed heat to the heating unit, and
the heating unit heats the capturing agent after capture by imparting, to the capturing agent after capture, heat of the heat medium supplied from the heat medium supply device.

9. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 8 ,
the capturing agent is absorption liquid that is capable of absorbing CO 2 from the off-gas,
the capturing unit is an absorption processing unit that causes the absorption liquid to absorb CO 2 in the off-gas,
the CO 2 separation device includes a releasing unit provided with a release flow passage that, while allowing absorption liquid after absorption that is the absorption liquid having absorbed CO 2 in the absorption processing unit to flow therethrough, causes the absorption liquid after absorption to release CO 2 ,
the heating unit includes a heat medium flow passage that allows the heat medium supplied from the heat medium supply device to flow therethrough in such a manner that the heat medium exchanges heat with the absorption liquid after absorption flowing through the release flow passage, and
both of the release flow passage and the heat medium flow passage are microchannels.

10. The hydrogen production apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the heating device includes a burner that burns off-gas from which CO 2 is removed by the capturing agent capturing CO 2 , so as to generate heat for heating the reformer.

Assignees

• Kobe Steel Ltd

Inventors

• Fujisawa Akitoshi
• Matsuoka Akira
• Hangai Hiroo
• Noishiki Koji

Classifications

• Y02P20/152

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C01B2203/0205

  containing a reforming step · CPC title

• C01B3/508

  by using hydrogen storage media (reversible storage of hydrogen C01B3/0005) · CPC title

• C01B2203/043

  Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration · CPC title

• C01B2203/142

  At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series · CPC title