On-line monitoring of process/system

• US 10,236,526 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Gilliam, Ryan J., Albrecht, Thomas A., Zhao, Hong, Martinez, Diego, King, Rebecca L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasaki, Shogo
• Application Number:
  US15/441,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20170250428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/00 Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 1/04 by electrolysis of water
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 15/02 Process control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: C25B 3/27 Halogenation
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04313 characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0444 Concentration; Density H01M8/04492 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04798 of fuel cell reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04992 characterised by the implementation of mathematical or computational algorithms, e.g. feedback control loops, fuzzy logic, neural networks or artificial intelligence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/36 Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and systems that relate to an on-line monitoring of a process/system by controlling rate of oxidation of metal ions at an anode in an anode electrolyte of an electrochemical process and controlling rate of reduction of the metal ions in a catalysis process to achieve steady state.

Claims

1. A method for an on-line monitoring of a process, the method comprising:

A. controlling using a computer rate of oxidation of metal ions at an anode in an anode electrolyte of an electrochemical process, wherein the electrochemical process comprises oxidizing the metal ions from a lower oxidation state to a higher oxidation state at the anode, the controlling step comprising;

determining at least one first value for at least one parameter indicative of conditions of the electrochemical process during operation wherein the at least one parameter comprises temperature, pressure, pH, density, ion concentration, flow rate, voltage, current, or combinations thereof;

comparing each of the at least one first value with respective at least one second value indicative of desired conditions of the electrochemical process, wherein the at least one second value is in a predefined memory location and is dynamic;

deciding, based on the comparing, to accept, reject, and/or adjust the at least one first value for respectively the at least one parameter; and

sending instructions to control one or more components of the process wherein the one or more components are selected from the group consisting of one or more valves, one or more pumps, one or more compressors, one or more heat exchange units, one or more heaters or coolers, power source, rectifier, one or more tanks, and combinations thereof to adjust the at least one first value to match the respective at least one second value to control the rate of oxidation of the metal ions in the anode electrolyte of the electrochemical process; and

B. controlling using a computer rate of reduction of metal ions in a catalysis process, wherein the catalysis process comprises reacting the anode electrolyte comprising the metal ions in the higher oxidation state in the aqueous medium with an unsaturated or saturated hydrocarbon to form one or more organic compounds, the controlling step comprising;

determining at least one third value for respectively at least one parameter, indicative of conditions of the catalysis process wherein the at least one parameter comprises temperature, pressure, density, ion concentration, flow rate, space time yield (STY), or combinations thereof;

comparing each of the at least one third value with respective at least one fourth value indicative of desired conditions of the catalysis process, wherein the at least one fourth value is in a predefined memory location and is dynamic;

deciding, based on the comparing, to accept, reject, and/or adjust the at least one third value for respectively the at least one parameter; and

sending instructions to control one or more components of the process wherein the one or more components are selected from the group consisting of one or more valves, one or more pumps, one or more compressors, one or more heat exchange units, one or more heaters or coolers, power source, rectifier, one or more tanks, and combinations thereof to adjust the at least one third value to match the respective at least one fourth value to control the rate of reduction of the metal ions in the aqueous medium of the catalysis process;

wherein the method comprises dynamically deciding the at least one fourth value indicative of the desired conditions of the catalysis process based on the rate of oxidation of the metal ions in the anode electrolyte of the electrochemical process and/or dynamically deciding the at least one second value indicative of the desired conditions of the electrochemical process based on the rate of reduction of the metal ions in the aqueous medium of the catalysis process and balancing the rate of oxidation in the electrochemical process and the rate of reduction in the catalysis process to achieve steady state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the deciding comprises adjusting the at least one first value for respectively the at least one parameter to match the at least one second value for respectively the same parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one parameter of the electrochemical process is metal ion concentration in the analyte exiting anode chamber and the at least one parameter of the catalysis process is metal ion concentration in the aqueous medium exiting catalysis reactor.