CARBON DIOXIDE CAPTURING STEAM METHANE REFORMER
An integrated system for carbon dioxide capture includes a steam methane reformer and a CO 2 pump that comprises an anode and a cathode. The cathode is configured to output a first exhaust stream including oxygen and carbon dioxide and the anode is configured to receive a reformed gas from the steam methane reformer and to output a second exhaust stream that includes greater than 95% hydrogen.
1 . An integrated system for carbon dioxide capture comprising:
a steam methane reformer; and
a CO 2 pump comprising an anode and a cathode;
wherein the cathode is configured to output a first exhaust stream and the anode is configured to receive a reformed gas from the steam methane reformer and to output a second exhaust stream;
wherein the first exhaust stream comprises oxygen and carbon dioxide; and
wherein the second exhaust stream comprises greater than 95% hydrogen.
2 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 pump comprises a reforming-electrolyzer-purifier system.
3 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the reforming-electrolyzer-purifier system comprises a molten carbonate fuel cell running in reverse.
4 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the reformed gas comprises a natural gas, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water.
5 . (canceled)
6 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 pump is configured to convert the residual methane from the steam methane reformer to hydrogen and to convert the carbon monoxide to hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
7 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the first exhaust stream comprises greater than about 95% of the feed carbon dioxide.
8 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the cathode is configured to output a mixture of carbon dioxide and oxygen in a ratio of between approximately 1:1 and 4:1.
9 . (canceled)
10 . The integrated system of claim 8 , wherein the system further includes a mechanism for transporting the carbon dioxide and oxygen back to the reformer.
11 . The integrated system of claim 1 , wherein the second exhaust stream further comprises residual carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
12 . The integrated system of claim 11 , further comprising a methanator that is configured to convert the residual carbon monoxide and a portion of the carbon dioxide from the second exhaust stream to a third exhaust stream comprising methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
13 . The integrated system of claim 12 , further comprising an electrochemical hydrogen compressor that is configured to receive the third exhaust stream from the methanator.
14 . The integrated system of claim 13 , wherein the electrochemical hydrogen compressor is configured to generate pure hydrogen at pressure and an off-gas stream with the residual methane and residual hydrogen.
15 . The integrated system of claim 14 , wherein the system is configured to recycle the off-gas stream to the steam methane reformer.
16 . The integrated system of claim 12 , further comprising a low temperature fuel cell that is configured to receive the third exhaust stream from the methanator and generate power.
17 . A method for capturing carbon dioxide from a reformed gas comprising:
supplying a reformed gas to CO 2 pump;
outputting, from the CO 2 pump, a first exhaust stream comprising carbon dioxide and oxygen and a second exhaust stream comprising hydrogen; and
transporting the carbon dioxide and oxygen back to the reformer to convert the reformer fuel comprising methane and hydrogen to reformer flue gas comprising carbon dioxide and water.
18 . (canceled)
19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising sequestering substantially all of the carbon dioxide from the reformer flue gas.
20 . (canceled)
21 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
optionally cooling the second exhaust stream,
transporting the cooled second exhaust stream comprising mainly hydrogen to a methanator to generate a third exhaust stream, and
transporting the third exhaust stream from the methanator to an electrochemical hydrogen compressor.
22 . (canceled)
23 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising transporting the third exhaust stream from the methanator to an electrochemical hydrogen compressor, separating hydrogen from the residual methane in the electrochemical hydrogen compressor to produce a purified hydrogen stream and increasing the pressure of the purified hydrocarbon.
24 . (canceled)
25 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising increasing the pressure of the purified hydrocarbon and outputting a pure hydrogen gas stream from the electrochemical hydrogen compressor.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the pure hydrogen gas comprises greater than 98% hydrogen.