Methods for generating electricity from carbonaceous material with substantially no carbon dioxide emissions
First Claim
1. A method for generating power from carbonaceous material, comprising:
- boiling water into steam;
reforming the carbonaceous material with the steam to generate a high-pressure gas comprising carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas, wherein sufficient steam is provided to ensure a substantial majority of the carbonaceous material is converted into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas;
exchanging heat from hot gas exiting the reforming step with the steam entering the reforming step;
separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the high-pressure gas to generate a carbon dioxide-rich gas and a hydrogen-rich gas;
utilizing the carbon dioxide-rich gas in an industrial process; and
generating power in a power generation system from a portion of the hydrogen-rich gas, wherein waste heat from the power generation system is used to provide heat to the boiling water step.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method for generating “clean” electricity from carbonaceous material, and producing high-pressure CO2 which can be easily sequestered or utilized for a beneficial purpose, such as fuel production. This method utilizes a reformation process that reforms carbonaceous fuel with superheated steam into a high-pressure gaseous mixture that is rich in carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas. This high-pressure gas exchanges excess heat with the incoming steam from a boiler. Once cooled, the high-pressure gas goes through a CO2 separator, after which the CO2-rich gas is sequestered underground or beneficially re-used. The remaining hydrogen-rich gas is used to generate power in a power generation subsystem, such as a gas turbine or a fuel cell. Therefore, carbon-free power is produced from coal, biomass, natural gas, or another carbon-based feedstock.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for generating power from carbonaceous material, comprising:
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boiling water into steam; reforming the carbonaceous material with the steam to generate a high-pressure gas comprising carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas, wherein sufficient steam is provided to ensure a substantial majority of the carbonaceous material is converted into carbon dioxide gas and hydrogen gas; exchanging heat from hot gas exiting the reforming step with the steam entering the reforming step; separating at least a portion of the carbon dioxide gas from the high-pressure gas to generate a carbon dioxide-rich gas and a hydrogen-rich gas; utilizing the carbon dioxide-rich gas in an industrial process; and generating power in a power generation system from a portion of the hydrogen-rich gas, wherein waste heat from the power generation system is used to provide heat to the boiling water step. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification