Systems and methods for processing gases

• US 10,676,353 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2019
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Transform Materials LLC
• Original Assignee: Transform Materials LLC
• Inventors: Soane, David S., Ashcraft, James Nathan, Hummelt, Jason Samuel, Soderholm, Mark Ellis, Leeds, Mathew, Santana, Alexander Olson, O'Reilly, Matthew Elijah
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayekar, Kishor
• Application Number:
  US16/653,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20200062591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/102 Ammonia
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/2021 Methanol
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/20452 containing a morpholine-ring
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/20468 containing a pyrrolidone-ring
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/2053 Other nitrogen compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/108 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/702 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/7022 Aliphatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/04 with stationary adsorbents B01D53/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/0462 Temperature swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/14 by absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1487 Removing organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/081 employing particle radiation or gamma-radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/126 Microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2405 provoking a turbulent flow of the reactants, such as in cyclones, or having a high Reynolds-number
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 19/2415 Tubular reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0004 Processes in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00159 controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0869 Feeding or evacuating the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0875 : Gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/0894 : Processes carried out in the presence of a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/3325 : Counter-current flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/002 : Nozzle-type elements nozzle-type reactors B01J19/26
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0405 : Purification by membrane separation
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/043 : Regenerative adsorption process in two or more beds, one for adsorption, the other for regeneration
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0861 : by plasma
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/142 : At least two reforming, decomposition or partial oxidation steps in series
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/148 : involving a recycle stream to the feed of the process for making hydrogen or synthesis gas
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/34 : by reaction of hydrocarbons with gasifying agents
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/342 : with the aid of electrical means, electromagnetic or mechanical vibrations, or particle radiations
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/501 : by diffusion
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/52 : by contacting with liquids; Regeneration of used liquids C01B3/508 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/56 : by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids C01B3/508 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 11/24 : Acetylene production of acetylene gas by wet methods C10H
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2/78 : Processes with partial combustion
• CPC Class Codes: C07C 2/80 : Processes with the aid of electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/1025 : Natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/201 : Impurities
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/4081 : Recycling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 2300/80 : Additives
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 32/04 : by particle radiation
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 53/08 : including at least one sorption step
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32192 : Microwave generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394, H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32431 : Constructional details of the reactor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/582 : Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials

Abstract

The invention includes a gas processing system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, where the system includes a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, and a microwave subsystem, with the gas delivery subsystem in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber, so that the gas delivery subsystem directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber, and the microwave subsystem directs microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, thereby forming a plasma in the plasma reaction chamber, which plasma effects the transformation of a hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the outflow gas products, which comprise acetylene and hydrogen. The invention also includes methods for the use of the gas processing system.

Claims

1. A system for transforming a hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into outflow gas products, comprising:

a gas delivery subsystem, a plasma reaction chamber, a microwave subsystem, a vacuum subsystem, and an effluent separation and disposal subsystem;

wherein the gas delivery subsystem is in fluid communication with the plasma reaction chamber and directs the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber,

the gas delivery subsystem comprising a delivery conduit and a gas injector, wherein the gas injector comprises an injector body comprising two or more coaxially arranged and separate gas feeds, a first gas feed conveying the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the plasma reaction chamber through a first set of one or more nozzles, and a second gas feed conveying the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the plasma reaction chamber through a second set of one or more nozzles,

wherein the delivery conduit is in fluid communication with the gas injector, wherein the delivery conduit comprises a feed gas conveying circuit that delivers the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas into the gas injector, and wherein the delivery conduit further comprises an auxiliary gas conveying circuit that delivers a hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the gas injector, each of the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas being delivered into the gas injector, through the gas injector, and into the plasma reaction chamber through a separate pathway;

wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed within an elongate reactor tube, the elongate reactor tube having a proximal end and a distal end and being dimensionally adapted for interaction with the microwave subsystem,

wherein the microwave subsystem comprises an applicator that interacts with the elongate reactor tube by directing the microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber, wherein the plasma reaction chamber is disposed in a region of the elongate reactor tube that passes through the applicator and intersects it perpendicularly, and wherein the microwave subsystem produces microwave energy and directs the microwave energy into the plasma reaction chamber to energize the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas within the region of the elongate reactor tube to form a non-thermal plasma, and wherein the non-thermal plasma transforms the hydrocarbon in the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen in the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the outflow gas products, wherein the outflow gas products comprise acetylene and hydrogen;

wherein the vacuum subsystem maintains a reduced pressure environment within the elongate reactor tube, wherein the reduced pressure environment is between about 30 and about 120 Torr;

wherein the outflow gas products flow within the plasma reaction chamber towards the distal end of the elongate reactor tube and emerge from the distal end to form an effluent stream that enters the effluent separation and disposal subsystem in fluid communication with the elongate reactor tube and,

wherein the effluent separation and disposal subsystem comprises a hydrogen separation subsystem for removing hydrogen from the effluent stream, an acetylene separation subsystem for removing acetylene from the effluent stream, and a temperature swing adsorber for removing higher acetylenes from the effluent stream.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas is derived from a mixed gas source.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mixed gas source is natural gas or a biogas.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas consists essentially of methane.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas comprises a gas selected from the group consisting of methane, ethane, propane, and butane.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-rich reactant gas comprises a recycled gas formed from a portion of the outflow gas products, wherein the recycled gas is delivered through a recycled gas conveying circuit into the auxiliary gas conveying circuit to form at least a portion of the hydrogen-rich reactant gas that enters into the gas injector.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the recycled gas consists essentially of hydrogen.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more nozzles in the first set of one or more nozzles or the second set of one or more nozzles is oriented at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the plasma reaction chamber or at an angle to a transverse axis of the plasma reaction chamber.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more nozzles in the first set of one or more nozzles or the second set of one or more nozzles is oriented at an angle to a longitudinal axis or a transverse axis of the injector body.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas entering the plasma reaction chamber from the first set of one or more nozzles and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas entering the plasma reaction chamber from the second set of one or more nozzles create a vortex of the gases within the plasma reaction chamber.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the elongate reactor tube comprises a proximal portion at the proximal end, wherein the gas injector conveys the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas, and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the proximal portion, and the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas flow distally from the proximal portion towards the plasma reaction chamber.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen separation subsystem is downstream from the acetylene separation subsystem and in fluid communication therewith.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrogen separation subsystem is in fluid communication with a recycled gas conveying circuit, wherein at least a portion of hydrogen removed from the effluent stream by the hydrogen separation subsystem is recycled into the recycled gas conveying circuit into the auxiliary gas conveying circuit to form at least a portion of the hydrogen-rich reactant gas that enters into the gas injector.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the acetylene separation subsystem and the hydrogen separation subsystem are downstream from the temperature swing adsorber.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the hydrogen separation subsystem is downstream from the acetylene separation subsystem.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the effluent separation and disposal subsystem further comprises a filter for removal of carbon solids upstream of the acetylene separation subsystem.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the effluent separation and disposal subsystem further comprises a cold trap for removing higher order hydrocarbons as condensates.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the acetylene separation subsystem and the hydrogen separation subsystem are downstream from the temperature swing adsorber.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the hydrogen separation subsystem is downstream from the acetylene separation subsystem.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum subsystem maintains a reduced pressure environment for the outflow gas products.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the vacuum subsystem maintains a reduced pressure environment for the gas delivery subsystem.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the reduced pressure environment is between about 50 and 100 Torr.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the hydrocarbon comprises methane and wherein the gas delivery subsystem conveys the hydrocarbon-containing inflow gas and the hydrogen-rich reactant gas into the plasma reaction chamber such that the ratio of the methane to the hydrogen is 1:

1-2.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the ratio is 1:

1.5.