RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM FOR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AND CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURE
The present invention is an integrated system for the production of hydrogen and the removal of carbon dioxide from the air or gas streams. The integrated system includes an energy source for generating electrical energy and a water source coupled to the energy source. The water source includes ionic electrolytes. The energy source supplies energy to the water source to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen gas, oxygen gas, acid and base. The carbon dioxide reacts with the base. In some embodiments, the energy source is a renewable energy source. The integrated system produces substantially no carbon dioxide and when combined with a renewable energy source, produces clean hydrogen fuel and reduces atmospheric carbon dioxide, resulting in carbon dioxide negative energy and manufacturing strategies.
1 . An integrated system for the production of hydrogen and the removal of carbon dioxide comprising:
an energy source for generating electrical energy; and
a water source coupled to the energy source, wherein the water source comprises ionic electrolytes, and wherein the energy source supplies energy to the water source to electrolyze water to produce oxygen gas, hydrogen gas, acid and base;
wherein carbon dioxide reacts with the base; and
wherein the integrated system produces substantially no carbon dioxide.
2 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the energy source is a renewable energy source.
3 . The integrated system of claim 2 , wherein the hydrogen is used to generate renewable electricity to replace or supplement the renewable energy source.
4 . The integrated system of claim 2 , wherein the renewable energy source is one of wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, oceanic, wave or tidal.
5 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the energy source is one of biomass and biofuel.
6 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide is captured from one of the atmosphere and a gas stream.
7 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the carbon dioxide is converted to a value-added product.
8 . The integrated system of claim 7 , wherein the value-added product is one of methane, methanol, formic acid, urea, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, formamide, acetone, acetic acid, supercritical carbon dioxide, limestone, acetaldehyde, ethylene glycol, ethanol, a bicarbonate salt or a carbonate salt.
9 . The integrated system of claim 7 , wherein the value-added product is one of a building material, a plastic, a polymer, a resin, a fabric, a fertilizer, antifreeze, a lubricant, a buffer, a pesticide, a fiber, a foam, a film, paint, a carbon dioxide neutral fuel, a solvent, a stored source of carbon dioxide, a paving material, a filler for plastics, agricultural lime, baking soda or baking powder.
10 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is sent to the energy source.
11 . A system for producing value-added products, including renewable hydrogen, and removing carbon dioxide comprising:
a water electrolysis process for producing hydrogen gas and a hydroxide base at a cathode and oxygen gas and acid at an anode; and
an energy source for supplying an electrical input to the water electrolysis process;
wherein the hydrogen gas is collected and supplements the energy source;
wherein the base removes atmospheric carbon dioxide; and
wherein the system removes more atmospheric carbon dioxide than it produces.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the energy source is a renewable energy source.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the renewable energy source is one of wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, oceanic, wave or tidal.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the carbon dioxide is captured by reaction with the hydroxide base and is converted to at least one of carbonate salt or bicarbonate salt.
15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the value-added product is one of a building material, a plastic, a polymer, a resin, a fabric, a fertilizer, antifreeze, a lubricant, a buffer, a pesticide, a fiber, a foam, a film, paint, a carbon dioxide neutral fuel, a solvent, a stored source of carbon dioxide, a paving material, a filler for plastics, agricultural lime, baking soda or baking powder.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the hydrogen is used as fuel or chemical feedstock.
17 . An integrated system for capturing and converting carbon dioxide to a value-added product, the integrated system comprising:
a renewable energy source for generating energy; and
a water electrolysis apparatus, wherein the energy from the renewable energy source is supplied to the water electrolysis apparatus to produce hydrogen, oxygen, a base and an acid and wherein the hydrogen, the oxygen, the base and the acid are separately sequestered;
wherein the atmosphere has an initial concentration of carbon dioxide prior to supplying energy from the renewable energy source to the water electrolysis apparatus;
wherein after supplying energy from the renewable energy source to the water electrolysis apparatus, the base produced reacts with the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere such that the atmosphere has a resulting concentration of carbon dioxide less than the initial concentration of carbon dioxide; and
wherein the carbon dioxide is converted to a value-added product.
18 . The integrated system of claim 17 , wherein the renewable energy source is one of wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, oceanic, wave or tidal.
19 . The integrated system of claim 17 , wherein the value-added product is one of carbonate salt or bicarbonate salt.
20 . The integrated system of claim 19 , wherein the acid is used to liberate the carbonate or bicarbonate as carbon dioxide for storage or for conversion to the value-added product.
21 . The integrated system of claim 17 , wherein the value-added product is one of methane, methanol, formic acid, urea, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, formamide, acetone, acetic acid, supercritical carbon dioxide, limestone, acetaldehyde, ethylene glycol, or ethanol.
22 . The integrated system of claim 17 , wherein the oxygen and hydrogen are transported to and used at a fuel cell.
24 . The integrated system of claim 17 , wherein the hydrogen is transported to the renewable energy source.
24 . A system for recovering carbon dioxide comprising:
a water electrolysis apparatus having an anode and a cathode, wherein the water electrolysis apparatus produces oxygen and aqueous acid at the anode and produces hydrogen and aqueous base at the cathode; and
a renewable energy source coupled to the water electrolysis apparatus for providing energy to the water electrolysis apparatus;
wherein the aqueous base produced by the water electrolysis apparatus is used to capture carbon dioxide;
wherein the system captures more carbon dioxide than the system produces; and
wherein the system produces less than about 100 mg of chlorine per liter of electrolyte.
25 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the system produces less than about 10 mg of chlorine per liter of electrolyte.
26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the system produces less than about 1 mg of chlorine per liter of electrolyte.
27 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the carbon dioxide is converted to a value-added product.
28 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the value-added product is one of carbonate salt and bicarbonate salt.
30 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the value-added product is one of methane, methanol, formic acid, urea, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, formamide, acetone, acetic acid, supercritical carbon dioxide, limestone, acetaldehyde, ethylene glycol, or ethanol.
31 . The system of claim 27 , wherein the value-added product is one of a building material, a plastic, a polymer, a resin, a fabric, a fertilizer, antifreeze, a lubricant, a buffer, a pesticide, a fiber, a foam, a film, paint, a carbon dioxide neutral fuel, a solvent, a stored source of carbon dioxide, a paving material, a filler for plastics, agricultural lime, baking soda or baking powder.
32 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the renewable energy source is one of wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, oceanic, wave or tidal.
33 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the carbon dioxide is captured from one of the atmosphere or a gas stream.
34 . The system of claim 33 , wherein the system captures carbon dioxide from a gas stream, wherein the gas stream is one of a flue gas, fermenter gas effluent, air, biogas, landfill methane or carbon dioxide contaminated natural gas.
35 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the energy source is one of biomass or biofuel.
36 . An integrated water electrolysis system for the production of hydrogen, oxygen, acid and base comprising:
an aqueous electrolyte solution;
an electrical source;
an anode and anode reaction region comprising hydronium ions, wherein an operational concentration of the hydronium ions is between about 100 and about 10,000,000 times higher than an initial concentration of the hydronium ions; and
a cathode and cathode reaction region comprising hydroxide ions, wherein an operational concentration of the hydroxide ions is between about 100 and about 10,000,000 times higher than an initial concentration of the hydroxide ions;
wherein carbon dioxide reacts with the hydroxide ions to form carbonate or bicarbonate; and
wherein the integrated water electrolysis system produces substantially no carbon dioxide.
37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the electrolyte solution comprises sodium or potassium sulfate at a sulfate concentration of greater than about 0.1 molar.
38 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the base produced is one of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
39 . The system of claim 38 , wherein the integrated water electrolysis system produces greater than about 40 grams of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide for every kilogram of hydrogen.
40 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the acid produced is sulfuric acid.
41 . The system of claim 40 , wherein the integrated water electrolysis system produces greater than about 49 grams of sulfuric acid for every kilogram of hydrogen.
42 . The system of claim 36 , and further comprising a hydrogen fuel cell, wherein the hydrogen is sent to a hydrogen fuel cell to provide direct current electricity to the integrated water electrolysis system.
43 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the integrated water electrolysis system removes more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or a gas stream than it produces.
44 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the carbonate or bicarbonate is converted to at least one of the group consisting of: methane, methanol, formic acid, urea, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, formamide, acetone, acetic acid, supercritical carbon dioxide, limestone, acetaldehyde, ethylene glycol, or ethanol.
45 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the carbonate or bicarbonate is converted to one of a building material, a plastic, a polymer, a resin, a fabric, a fertilizer, antifreeze, a lubricant, a buffer, a pesticide, a fiber, a foam, a film, paint, a carbon based fuel, a solvent, a stored source of carbon dioxide, a paving material, a filler for plastics, agricultural lime, baking soda or baking powder.