Energy recovery during carbon capture in preform production process

1 . A system for thermal energy recovery, the system comprising:

a heat recovery unit;

a carbon/carbon (C/C) preform production process unit configured to perform a carbon/carbon (C/C) preform production process which generates off gases;

a separator; and

a methanization reactor operating to convert carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and supplied hydrogen (H 2 ) via methanization to produce methane (CH 4 ),

wherein the heat recovery unit is configured to:

receive at least one of heat or steam from the methanization reactor;

recover thermal energy using at least one of the heat or the steam from the methanization reactor; and

supply the thermal energy to the carbon/carbon (C/C) preform production process and the separator,

wherein the separator is configured to utilize the heat to separate the CO 2 from the off gases and is configured to provide the CO 2 to the methanization reactor; and

wherein the methanization reactor is configured to feed the CH 4 into the into the C/C preform production process.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a heat transfer fluid, wherein the heat recovery unit is configured to utilize at least one of the heat or the steam to heat the heat transfer fluid and wherein the heat transfer fluid is configured to transfer heat to at least one of the C/C preform production process or the separator.

3 . The system of claim 2 ,

wherein the C/C preform production process is configured to utilize the heat to produce an aircraft brake and, in the process, is configured to generate various off gases from which the supplied H 2 is separated.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the separator is further configured to separate nitrogen (N 2 ) from the byproducts and release the N 2 into an atmosphere.

5 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the separator is further configured to separate water (H 2 O) from the byproducts and feeds the H 2 O into the burner/steam generator.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the heat recovery unit is configured to utilize the steam to transfer heat to at least one of the C/C preform production process or the separator.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a turbine, wherein the heat recovery unit is configured to utilize the at least one of the heat or the steam to operate the turbine to produce electricity and wherein the electricity is either utilized to generate heat in at least one of the C/C preform production process, the separator, or the other system or utilized as direct power for operations to power equipment or processes.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a burner/steam generator, wherein, in generating the thermal energy using the steam from the methanization reactor, the heat recovery unit is configured to condense excess steam to water (H 2 O) which is configured to be supplied to the burner/steam generator.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a burner/steam generator; and

a condenser, wherein, in generating the thermal energy using the steam from the methanization reactor, the heat recovery unit is configured to provide excess steam to the condenser and wherein the condenser is configured to condense the steam to water (H 2 O) which is configured to be supplied to the burner/steam generator.

10 . A method for thermal energy recovery, the method comprising:

receiving, by a heat recovery unit, at least one of heat or steam from a methanization reactor operating to convert carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and supplied hydrogen (H 2 ) via methanization to produce methane (CH 4 );

recovering, by the heat recovery unit, thermal energy using at least one of the heat or the steam from the methanization reactor; and

supplying, by the heat recovery unit, the thermal energy to a carbon/carbon (C/C) preform production process and a separator,

wherein the separator utilizes the thermal energy to separate the CO 2 from off gases generated by the carbon/carbon (C/C) preform production process and provide the CO 2 to the methanization reactor to perform a methanization process in order to produce CH 4 , which is fed into the C/C preform production process.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the heat recovery unit uses at least one of the heat or the steam to heat a heat transfer fluid and wherein the heat transfer fluid transfers heat to at least one of the C/C preform production process or the separator.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the C/C preform production process utilizes the heat to produce an aircraft brake and, in the process, generate various off gases from which the supplied H 2 is separated.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the separator separates nitrogen (N 2 ) from the byproducts and release the N 2 into an atmosphere.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the separator further separates water (H 2 O) from the byproducts and feeds the H 2 O into the burner/steam generator.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the heat recovery unit uses the steam to transfer heat to at least one of the C/C preform production process or the separator.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the heat recovery unit uses the at least one of the heat or the steam to operate a turbine to produce electricity and wherein the electricity is either utilized to generate heat in at least one of the C/C preform production process, the separator, or the other system or utilized as direct power for operations to power equipment or processes.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein, in generating the thermal energy using the steam from the methanization reactor, the heat recovery unit condenses excess steam to water (H 2 O) which is supplied to a burner/steam generator.

18 . The method of claim 10 , wherein, in generating the thermal energy using the steam from the methanization reactor, the heat recovery unit provides excess steam to a condenser and wherein the condenser condenses the steam to water (H 2 O) which is supplied to a burner/steam generator.