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CN-121985993-A - Method and reactor for producing thermal energy and base chemicals

CN121985993ACN 121985993 ACN121985993 ACN 121985993ACN-121985993-A

Abstract

A method of producing thermal energy and a base chemical and a reactor for use in the method are disclosed. The reactor contains a reaction space for oxidizing the metal fuel with water or carbon dioxide and optionally other oxidants. The reaction space is connected at its outlet to a separation device for separating solids contained in the product gas leaving the reaction space. A first flame is generated in the reaction space that triggers a reaction of the metallic fuel with the oxidant to generate a second flame within the reaction space. The first flame is generated by using a fuel mixture introduced into the reaction space via one or more feed lines. At the end of the feed line(s), a pilot device acts on the fuel to pilot the first flame, which in turn triggers the formation of the second flame. The thermal energy generated by the oxidation reaction is recovered by using one or more heat exchangers, which may be placed at different locations in the reactor. With the reactor and method of the present invention, hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide is produced from a metal fuel and water or CO 2 . When water and carbon dioxide are used as the oxidizing agent, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is produced. These products can be used as base chemicals in various processes.

Inventors

  • L. Botugus
  • C. Dentler

Assignees

  • 能源13有限公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240911
Priority Date
20230929

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A method of generating thermal energy and a base chemical in a reactor having a reaction space with an inlet zone for reactants, a central zone and an outlet zone for product gas, the method comprising at least the following measures: a) A metallic main fuel selected from silicon, magnesium, iron, aluminum or an alloy containing these metals is provided in the inlet zone of the reaction space, B) H 2 O or CO 2 or a mixture comprising H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 or H 2 O、CO 2 or said mixture diluted with an inert gas is introduced into the inlet region of the reaction space, C) Introducing particles of metallic auxiliary fuel and oxidant or hydrogen and oxidant or a mixture of two or more of said particles, hydrogen and oxidant into said inlet zone using one or more feed lines terminating in said inlet zone, and producing said particles and oxidant or said mixture of hydrogen and oxidant at the end of said feed line(s), D) Providing a first flame at the end of said feed line(s), created by oxidizing particles of metallic auxiliary fuel and oxidant or a mixture of hydrogen and oxidant, directing the first flame to the metallic main fuel present in the inlet zone, E) Generating a reaction zone from the action of the first flame by melting and/or vaporizing a portion of the metallic main fuel, whereby the metallic main fuel reacts with H 2 O, with CO 2 or with H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 to generate a second flame, yielding a product gas comprising hydrogen and oxidized metal or carbon monoxide and oxidized metal or hydrogen, carbon monoxide and/or nitrogen and oxidized metal and optionally inert gas(s), F) The product gas is discharged from the reaction space outlet zone via a discharge line and introduced into a separation device for solids, G) Separating the solids from the product gas in a separation device, thereby producing a purified product gas without a solids content or a reduced solids content, H) Discharging purified product gas from the separation device, and I) The heat energy generated in the reaction space, in the product gas and/or in the purified product gas is transferred into the heat transfer medium and used for generating electrical energy and/or for heating purposes.
  2. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the metallic main fuel provided in step a) is introduced into the inlet zone of the reaction space in the form of powder, chips, pellets, ingots or metal rods.
  3. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the metallic main fuel provided in step a) is an aluminium-magnesium alloy or preferably aluminium.
  4. 4. A process according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that H 2 O introduced into the inlet zone of the reaction space in step b) is in the form of a water mist or, in particular, in the form of water vapor.
  5. 5. The process according to claim 4, characterized in that in step b) water vapor or a mixture of water vapor and carbon dioxide or a mixture of water vapor and ammonia is introduced, optionally with an inert gas, in particular with nitrogen, to dilute the water vapor or the mixture.
  6. 6. Method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the metallic main fuel and H 2 O or CO 2 or a mixture comprising H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 are introduced into the inlet zone of the cylindrical reaction space via one or more axially and/or radially and/or tangentially extending tubes.
  7. 7. The process as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that inert gas and/or water vapor, or CO 2 or a mixture containing water vapor, carbon dioxide and/or ammonia is introduced into the inlet zone of the reaction space via a plurality of tubes extending tangentially through the reactor jacket, as a result of which a vortex is formed in the reaction space moving in a direction towards the outlet zone.
  8. 8. The process according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the mixture introduced in step c) is a mixture of hydrogen-oxygen mixture, hydrogen-air mixture, hydrogen-chlorine mixture, acetylene-air mixture or metal particles with a diameter of less than 100 μm and water vapor.
  9. 9. Method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the first flame is ignited by using an ignition device, preferably by using an electric arc arranged in the inlet zone, an induction heater arranged outside the reactor or a laser, the radiation of which is coupled into the reactor chamber through one or more windows in the reactor jacket such that the electric arc, the induction heater and/or the laser radiation acts on the mixture introduced in step c).
  10. 10. The method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the second flame in step e) generates a temperature of 2500 ℃ or higher by reaction of the metallic main fuel with the H 2 O or with the H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 .
  11. 11. Method according to at least one of the claims 1-10, characterized in that the temperature generated in the second flame in step e) causes the evaporation of a part of the metallic main fuel.
  12. 12. The method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the same metal, preferably aluminum, is used for generating the first flame and the second flame.
  13. 13. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the oxidized metal produced in step e) is alumina.
  14. 14. Process according to at least one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that in step f) the product gas is introduced into one or more cyclones.
  15. 15. The method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the heat energy generated in the reaction space is transferred to a heat transfer medium flowing through a heat exchanger connected to the reactor jacket and/or the heat energy of the product gas is transferred to a heat transfer medium flowing through a heat exchanger connected to a discharge line between the reaction space outlet zone and the separation device and/or the heat energy of the purified product gas is transferred to a heat transfer medium flowing through a heat exchanger connected to a line for removing the purified product gas from the separation device.
  16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the heat transfer medium flowing through the heat exchanger(s) is water, hot oil or molten salt.
  17. 17. The method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 16, characterized in that hot purified product gas is introduced into a heat exchanger located downstream of the separation device for cooling the purified product gas and that thermal energy contained in the purified product gas is fed to a heat transfer medium or that hot purified product gas is fed from the separation device to a chemical reactor for a reduction reaction with hydrogen contained in the purified product gas or for reacting a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide contained in the purified product gas.
  18. 18. The process according to at least one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the outer jacket of the reactor is cooled by a heat transfer medium, preferably water.
  19. 19. The method according to at least one of the claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the metal used as metallic main fuel or metallic auxiliary fuel is produced from a metal oxide without CO 2 production, preferably in a molten salt electrolysis plant without carbon electrodes.
  20. 20. A reactor for generating thermal energy and a base chemical comprising at least the following elements: A) A reaction space formed by a reactor jacket having an inlet zone for the reactants, a central zone and an outlet zone for the product gas, with at least one feed line for the metallic main fuel to the inlet zone and at least one feed line for H 2 O or CO 2 or for a mixture comprising H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 and optionally inert gas (es) to the inlet zone, or at least one feed line for the metallic main fuel, H 2 O or CO 2 or for a mixture comprising H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 and optionally inert gas (es) to the inlet zone and at least one discharge line for the product gas in the outlet zone, B) At least one separation device for solids from the product gas, which is connected to a discharge line from the reaction space and in which a purified product gas is produced, C) At least one heat exchanger for transferring heat energy generated in the reaction space, in the product gas and/or in the purified product gas into a heat transfer medium, said heat exchanger being connected to the reactor jacket and/or to a discharge line from the reaction space to the separation device and/or to a discharge line for removing purified product gas from the separation device, characterized in that D) At least one feed line for particles of metallic auxiliary fuel or for hydrogen or for oxidant or for a mixture comprising at least two of said particles, hydrogen and oxidant, said feed line(s) terminating in said inlet zone and supplying said particles, hydrogen, oxidant or mixture thereof to produce said particles and oxidant or mixture of said hydrogen and oxidant at the end of said feed line(s), for establishing a first flame, and E) At least one ignition device for igniting the mixture at the end of the feed line(s) D) to produce a first flame at the end of the feed line(s) to produce a reaction zone by transferring thermal energy to the metallic main fuel present in the inlet zone of the reaction space to melt and/or evaporate a portion of the metallic main fuel and to ignite a second flame by initiating the reaction of the metallic main fuel with H 2 O or with a mixture containing H 2 O、CO 2 and/or NH 3 .

Description

Method and reactor for producing thermal energy and base chemicals Technical Field The present invention relates to an expandable metal-fuel concept, to a reactor designed for oxidizing metal fuels, and to an optimized chemical conversion for simultaneous production of energy and base chemicals for industrial use. Background The present invention relates to an increasing interest in the transportation and storage of energy sources, especially renewable solar ecological energy sources, and the integration of these process streams with the global demand for non-petrochemical or fossil chemical feedstocks such as hydrogen, CO and all products and goods derived therefrom in all the current and future different regional industrial branches, including carbon as its most reduced organic chemical compound. The present invention addresses the need for raw materials, chemicals and intermediates in solar driven recycling economics with optimized energy bulk density transport and efficient release. Indeed, industry branching standards have even evolved to the global use of charcoal carbon itself as a heat or chemical feedstock in metallurgical processes practiced so far. In this process, minerals, particularly oxides, are reduced to produce specific metallographic phases such as steel or steel alloys, and the current is reduced by graphite electrodes in a conventional aluminum smelter. Depending on the stone carbon source, whether natural gas, refined crude oil or anthracite, various gasification and liquefaction processes produce interconnections between different production processes. This interconnection allows the chemical industry to switch its production process multiple times after a second battle or when it encounters a political sanction or group ban, under the direction of global or regional energy prices. As a result, even hydrogen and food materials or fertilizers are supplied by this technical and economic system, while more direct production methods such as electro-chemical fertilizers or hydro-metallurgy are put aside. Thus, to our knowledge, all product branches can be converted, transformed or redirected to renewable energy sources, and most products can be produced with minimal or no carbon dioxide production, except for the food or feed metabolites produced by the metabolism of the animals and mammals themselves. Since atmospheric dilution of carbon dioxide from such sources is difficult or difficult to avoid, it is necessary to establish the carbon dioxide itself as a source of carbon-based products (e.g., foods or chemicals) because the history has proven that its carbon sequestration rate is too slow to handle the peak of 400ppm in air reached in a very short time. The type of reaction that is optimized in the traditional industrial process to allow the aluminum electrolysis cell to release oxygen in the form of CO 2, precisely demonstrates the economic and technical dual advantages of using carbon in such base material production reactions. Because carbon is an inexpensive source of thermal energy, the electrical energy for activation and simple heating is reduced by the actual net combustion of the graphite electrodes. This economic trade-off is the trade-off between grid cost and graphite electrode consumption. The use of CO 2 as an exhaust gas emission and carbonaceous minerals is absolutely the cheapest option. The carbon dioxide concentration in air will reach 400ppm in the next decades, and even if carbon dioxide emissions from human activities (including transportation, agriculture, consumer goods and animal feeding) are maintained or greatly reduced, this natural reduction in value takes a long time. Thus, all these industrial or civil processes that emit carbon dioxide into the air may become prohibited and, in terms of the environmental damage that has been done so far, these processes are in fact already in a net deficit. Carbon capture and carbon sequestration as end treatment schemes are not only costly but also charitable, do not provide a prophylactic solution to the recycling needs of the valuable materials and feedstocks in a sustainable perfect recycling economy, and as "green" evolves, such needs only grow. In addition, the urgent need for transporting energy sources to produce or produce metals in pure or technical form in a regional range, from a thermodynamic perspective, represents the high enthalpy of the metals themselves, while at the same time they, together with their mineral oxides, represent a chemical storage and release means of high bulk density. In other words, hydrogen as a gas has the highest combustion energy mass density, and theoretically, the highest practical enthalpy yield per unit volume is achieved by converting the metal into its oxide. Most technical industrial high temperature flame processes, such as the production of glass, metal or sintered materials, can be modified by using hydrogen flame heat, or by burning hydrogen in air or oxygen to provide