Hydrogen turbine compatible fuel source
Systems and methods for generating power using hydrogen fuel, such as derived from natural gas, are provided. Feed materials are introduced into a compact hydrogen generator to produce carbon dioxide, hydrogen gas and steam. Sorbent material within the compact hydrogen generator acts to absorb carbon dioxide, forming a used sorbent. Hydrogen gas and steam are separated from the used sorbent and passed to a power generator such as a hydrogen turbine to produce power. The used sorbent is introduced into a calciner and heated to desorb carbon dioxide and form a regenerated sorbent which can be recycled to the compact hydrogen generator.
1. A method for producing power via hydrogen gas, said method comprising:
introducing feed material into a sorbent enhanced reformer to produce products including H 2 , carbon dioxide, and steam, the sorbent enhanced reformer containing a quantity of a sorbent material to absorb carbon dioxide and form a used sorbent;
introducing the H 2 , steam and used sorbent from the sorbent enhanced reformer to a gas/solids separator to separate the H 2 and steam from the used sorbent;
introducing at least a portion of the separated H 2 and steam to at least one power generator to produce power;
introducing at least a portion of the separated used sorbent to a calciner to heat the used sorbent to desorb carbon dioxide from the used sorbent to produce regenerated sorbent and CO 2 ; and
recycling at least a portion of the regenerated sorbent to the sorbent enhanced reformer,
wherein the sorbent enhanced reformer has a steam to carbon ratio operating range between 2.5:1 to 4:1 and produces products having a steam to hydrogen ratio, on a volume basis, of between 1:8 and 1:2;
wherein the sorbent enhanced reformer includes a compact hydrogen generator, the compact hydrogen generator contains the quantity of a sorbent material, the gas/solids separator is connected to the compact hydrogen generator to separate the used sorbent from the H 2 and steam, the calciner is connected to the gas/solids separator to heat the used sorbent to desorb the carbon dioxide from the used sorbent to produce the regenerated sorbent, and a recycle line is configured to introduce at least a portion of the regenerated sorbent from the calciner to the compact hydrogen generator.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sorbent enhanced reformer comprises a bubbling fluidized bed of the sorbent material and a reforming catalyst for catalytic conversion of methane to the H 2 product.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of the sorbent material and the reforming catalyst has a corresponding size configured for the reforming catalyst to remain in the fluidized bed while the H 2 product and used sorbent are conveyed from the fluidized bed to the gas/solids separator.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the introducing of at least a portion of the separated used sorbent to the calciner to heat the used sorbent to desorb carbon dioxide from the used sorbent produces heated regenerated sorbent and CO 2 and wherein said recycling comprises recycling heated regenerated sorbent to the sorbent enhanced reformer.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the feed material comprises natural gas and steam.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the natural gas comprises sulfur, said method additionally comprises:
removing sulfur from the natural gas prior to introduction into the sorbent enhanced reformer.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein calciner is an indirect heat calciner and the separated used sorbent introduced into the calciner is subjected to indirect heat in the calciner.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one power generator comprises a gas turbine or a hydrogen turbine and produces a flue gas, wherein said method additionally comprises introducing at least a portion of the flue gas into a heat recovery steam generator connected to the at least one power generator to recover heat from the flue gas and generate steam.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the sorbent enhanced reformer operates at a pressure of at least 35 psia to produce the H 2 , carbon dioxide, and steam.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the calciner operates at atmospheric pressure to heat the used sorbent to desorb carbon dioxide from the used sorbent to produce regenerated sorbent.
11. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:
purifying at least a portion of the H 2 from the gas/solids separator to form purified H 2 product;
temporarily storing at least a portion of the purified H 2 product; and
selectively passing a portion of the temporarily stored H 2 product to the at least one power generator.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the selective passing of a portion of the temporarily stored H 2 product to the at least one power generator occurs in response to peak power production demands.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the CO 2 desorbed from the used sorbent is high purity carbon dioxide.
14. The method of claim 13 additionally comprising:
conveying at least a portion of the high purity carbon dioxide for use in one or more of enhanced oil recovery, urea production, and beverage production.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one power generator is a turbine.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one power generator is a hydrogen turbine.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the H 2 product and used sorbent are conveyed to the gas/solids separator by elutriation.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein the compact hydrogen generator comprises a fluidized bed.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein the compact hydrogen generator comprises a bubbling fluidized bed of the sorbent material and a reforming catalyst for catalytic conversion of methane to the H 2 product, wherein the reforming catalyst and the sorbent material are sized for the reforming catalyst to remain in the fluidized bed while the H 2 product, steam, and used sorbent are conveyed to the gas/solids separator.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the H 2 product and used sorbent are conveyed to the gas/solids separator by elutriation.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein the feed material comprises a methane-containing fuel and steam.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein methane-containing fuel comprises natural gas.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein the natural gas comprises sulfur, further comprising removing sulfur from the natural gas with a desulfurizer prior to passage to the compact hydrogen generator.
24. The method of claim 1 wherein the calciner is an indirect heating calciner.
25. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one power generator comprises a gas turbine or a hydrogen turbine and produces a flue gas, and further comprising a heat recovery steam generator connected to the at least one power generator and accepting at least a portion of the flue gas, recovering heat from the flue gas, and generating steam.
26. The method of claim 1 wherein the compact hydrogen generator operates at a pressure of at least 35 psia to produce the H 2 , carbon dioxide and stream.
27. The method of claim 1 wherein the calciner operates at atmospheric pressure to heat the used sorbent to desorb carbon dioxide from the used sorbent to produce regenerated sorbent.
28. The method of claim 1 wherein the calciner heats the used sorbent to desorb high purity carbon dioxide from the used sorbent.
29. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:
a H 2 purifier purifying at least a portion of the H 2 from the gas/solids separator to form purified H 2 product;
a storage vessel temporarily storing at least a portion of the purified H 2 product; and
a first process line selectively passing a portion of the temporarily stored H 2 product from the storage vessel to the at least one power generator.