Volatile organic compound abatement with fuel cell power plant

1. A system comprising:

a regenerable volatile organic compound absorption apparatus ( 15 ) configured to receive a flow ( 13 ) of gas containing volatile organic compounds and configured to regenerate absorbent material therein by means of a flow ( 92 ) of hot desorption gas provided to a desorption gas inlet ( 41 ) of said apparatus;

a burner ( 58 ) with exhaust, said burner configured to burn desorption effluent from a desorption gas outlet ( 20 ) of said apparatus;

wherein the improvement comprises:

said burner is part of a reformer ( 57 ) configured to reform hydrocarbon fuel ( 55 ) to provide hydrogen-containing reformate gas ( 61 );

heat transfer apparatus ( 90 ) for transferring heat from the exhaust of said burner to said desorption gas, said heat transfer apparatus configured to deliver ( 90 ) heated desorption gas to said inlet; and

a fuel cell power plant ( 64 ) having anodes to which at least some of said hydrogen-containing reformate gas is provided ( 48 , 46 , 63 ), wherein said fuel cell power plant ( 64 ) is a phosphoric acid fuel cell power plant.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein:

said fuel cell power plant ( 64 ) having biphase water coolant exiting ( 78 ) from said fuel cell power plant;

and further comprising:

a steam separator ( 73 ) configured to provide steam ( 82 , 83 ) derived from said exiting coolant to said reformer.

3. A system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a hydrodesulfurizer ( 53 ) adapted to receive hydrocarbon feed ( 25 ) and provide said hydrocarbon fuel ( 55 ) to said reformer ( 57 ), some of said hydrogen-containing reformate gas being provided ( 44 , 45 , 46 ) to said hydrodesulfurizer.

4. A system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a connection ( 68 , 70 ) from anode outlets ( 66 ) of said fuel cell ( 64 ) to the inlet ( 71 ) of said burner ( 58 ).

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein:

said connection includes a heat exchanger ( 70 ) through which said burner exhaust ( 87 ) flows ( 86 ).

6. A system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a shift reactor ( 48 ) connected ( 61 , 46 ) between said reformer ( 57 ) and said fuel cell power plant ( 64 ).

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein:

flow of gas from said shift reactor is connected ( 44 , 45 , 48 ) to an inlet ( 50 ) of a hydrodesulfurizer ( 53 ) which is configured to receive hydrocarbon feed stock ( 25 ) and provide said hydrocarbon fuel ( 55 ) to said reformer ( 57 ).

8. A method comprising:

absorbing volatile organic compounds from a flow ( 13 ) of gas in a regenerable absorption bed ( 15 );

providing a flow ( 20 ) of desorption exhaust gas from said regenerable absorption bed to a fuel inlet ( 71 ) of a burner ( 58 );

wherein the improvement comprises:

said providing step comprises providing said flow to a burner of a reformer ( 57 ) that generates hydrogen-rich reformate gas ( 61 );

heating ( 90 ) air ( 35 ) with exhaust ( 86 ) of said burner to provide desorption gas ( 92 ) to said bed; and

reacting at least some of said reformate gas in a fuel cell power plant ( 64 ) to provide electric power, wherein said step of reacting comprises reacting reformate gas ( 61 ) in a phosphoric acid fuel cell power plant ( 64 ).

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein:

said providing step comprises providing a flow ( 92 ) of desorption exhaust gas from said regenerable absorption bed to a fuel inlet ( 71 ) of a burner ( 58 ) of a catalytic steam reformer ( 57 ).

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein:

a portion ( 68 ) of said reformate gas ( 61 ) is provided to said fuel inlet ( 71 ) of said burner ( 58 ).

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising:

heating ( 70 ) said portion ( 68 ) of said reformate gas with exhaust ( 86 ) from said burner ( 57 ).

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein:

said portion ( 68 ) is between about 15% and about 20% of the reformate gas ( 61 ) generated by said reformer ( 57 ).

13. A method according to claim 8 further comprising:

providing to said reformer ( 57 ), steam ( 82 ) extracted ( 83 ) from coolant exhaust ( 78 ) of said fuel cell power plant ( 64 ).