US-20260124571-A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REMOVING ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM THE OUTPUT OF PYROLYSIS OR OTHER REACTORS

US20260124571A1US 20260124571 A1US20260124571 A1US 20260124571A1US-20260124571-A1

Abstract

Systems and methods for removing organic compounds byproducts from a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the system includes a first condenser that is fluidly couplable to the product stream, a coalescer that is fluidly couplable to the product stream downstream from the first condenser along a first flow path, and a second condenser that is fluidly couplable to the product stream downstream from the first condenser along a second flow path. The system also includes a first valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the first flow path including a second valve positioned to regulate the flow of the product stream along the second flow path.

Inventors

Matthew Gianni Equi Ibbotson
Andrew Thomas Koch
John Joel Lorr
Max Nathan Mankin
William Hunter Harrison Nealley
Kathryn Elizabeth Roach
Vikram Seshadri
Sergey Vasilyevich Tsurkan
Kevin J. Hughes

Assignees

MODERN HYDROGEN, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251205

Claims (20)

1 . A system for removing byproducts in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, the system comprising: a first condenser fluidly couplable to the product stream to capture at least a first portion of the byproducts from the product stream; a coalescer fluidly coupled to the first condenser and positioned to receive an output from the first condenser; a first valve positioned to regulate a flow of the product stream along a first flow path including the first condenser and the coalescer; a second condenser fluidly couplable to the product stream to capture at least a second portion of the byproducts from the product stream; and a second valve positioned to regulate a flow of the product stream along a second flow path different than the first flow path, wherein the second flow path includes the second condenser.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second condenser is downstream from the first condenser.
3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising a tee downstream from the first condenser and the second condenser, wherein the tee is fluidly coupled between the first condenser and the coalescer and positioned between the second condenser and the coalescer.
4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the coalescer is a first coalescer, further comprising a second coalescer fluidly coupled to the second condenser to receive an output from the second condenser.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second flow path is in parallel with the first flow path, wherein the coalescer is a first coalescer, wherein the system further comprises a second coalescer in the second flow path, and wherein the second coalescer is fluidly coupled to the second condenser to receive an output from the second condenser.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between (i) a first state to at least partially block the product stream from flowing through the second flow path and (ii) a second state allowing the product stream to flow through the second flow path.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the coalescer is a first coalescer, wherein the system further comprises a second coalescer fluidly couplable to the product stream downstream from the second condenser along the second flow path, and wherein: the first valve is positioned downstream from the first coalescer; the second valve is positioned downstream from the second coalescer; and the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between a first state and a second state, wherein: in the first state, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed to at least partially inhibit the product stream from flowing through the second coalescer, and in the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open to at least partially inhibit the product stream from flowing through the first coalescer.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the coalescer is a first coalescer, wherein the system further comprises a second coalescer fluidly couplable to the product stream downstream from the second condenser along the second flow path, and wherein: the first valve is positioned upstream from the first condenser; the second valve is positioned upstream from the second condenser; and the first valve and the second valve are part of a set of valves configurable between a first state and a second state, wherein: in the first state, the first valve is open and the second valve is closed to at least partially block the product stream from flowing through the second flow path, and in the second state, the first valve is closed and the second valve is open to at least partially block the product stream from flowing through the first flow path.
9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir fluidly couplable to the first flow path to receive at least a portion of the byproducts captured in the first flow path.
10 . A method for operating a system for removing byproducts from a pyrolysis reaction in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, the method comprising: configuring a set of valves in a first state such that the product stream flows along a first flow path through the system; detecting a regeneration condition; and after detecting the regeneration condition, configuring the set of valves from the first state to a second state such that the product stream flows along a second flow path through the system different from the first flow path.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first flow path includes a condenser, and wherein the method further comprises heating the condenser toward a regeneration temperature after configuring the set of valves from the first state to the second state, wherein the heating causes solid byproducts in the condenser to melt and/or causes liquid byproducts in the condenser to evaporate.
12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising: detecting a completion condition; and after detecting the completion condition, configuring the set of valves from the second state back to the first state such that the product stream flows along the first flow path and is at least partially impeded from flowing along the second flow path.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first flow path includes a condenser, and wherein the method further comprises cooling the condenser from a regeneration temperature toward a condensing temperature after detecting the completion condition.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second flow path includes a condenser, and wherein the method further comprises, after configuring the set of valves from the second state back to the first state, heating the condenser toward a regeneration temperature, wherein the heating causes solid byproducts in the condenser to melt and/or causes liquid byproduct in the condenser to evaporate.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first flow path includes a condenser, and wherein detecting the completion condition includes detecting a pressure upstream from the condenser below a predetermined baseline pressure threshold.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein: the first flow path includes a first condenser and a first coalescer downstream from and fluidly coupled to the first condenser; the second flow path includes a second condenser and a second coalescer downstream from and fluidly coupled to the second condenser; the set of valves includes at least a first valve downstream from the first coalescer and a second valve downstream from the second coalescer; configuring the set of valves into the second state includes closing the first valve to at least partially block a first output from the first condenser from flowing through the first coalescer and opening the second valve to allow a second output from the second condenser to flow through the second coalescer; and configuring the set of valves into the first state includes opening the first valve to allow the first output from the first condenser to flow through the first coalescer and closing the second valve to at least partially block the second output from the second condenser from flowing through the second coalescer.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein detecting the regeneration condition includes detecting predetermined maximum time between regenerations, a pressure upstream from a condenser in the first flow path above a predetermined maximum pressure threshold, and/or a rate of increase in the pressure upstream from the condenser in the first flow path above a predetermined rate.
18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising: detecting an emergency condition; and after detecting the emergency condition: decreasing a flow of reactant to the pyrolysis reactor; and/or starting a flow of a purge gas through the pyrolysis reactor and a condenser in the first flow path.
19 . A system for removing organic compounds in a product stream from a pyrolysis reactor, the system comprising: a first condenser fluidly couplable to the product stream and positioned along a first flow path to capture at least a first portion of the organic compounds from the product stream; a second condenser fluidly couplable to the product stream and positioned along a second flow path to capture at least a second portion of the organic compounds from the product stream; and a flow control device positioned to regulate a flow of the product stream along the first flow path and/or the second flow path.
20 . The system of claim 19 wherein the flow control device comprises a set of valves movable between a first position and a second position, and wherein: in a first position, the set of valves directs the flow of the product stream along the first flow path, and in a second position, the set of valves directs the flow of the product stream along the second flow path.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/925,407, filed Oct. 24, 2024, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/592,906, filed Oct. 24, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein. TECHNICAL FIELD The present technology is generally related to systems and methods for removing byproducts from the output of a pyrolysis or other reactor. In particular, the present technology relates to systems and methods for removing organic compounds as a function of byproduct boiling point, melting point, and/or molecular weight from the output of the pyrolysis or other reactor. BACKGROUND Pyrolysis reactors produce hydrogen with little or no carbon dioxide emissions. In general, pyrolysis reactors function by heating a hydrocarbon input in an oxygen-free environment to a temperature at which a reaction takes place where hydrogen and carbon are generated from the hydrocarbon, while continuing to add heat to supply the required enthalpy of the pyrolysis reaction. The output of hydrocarbon pyrolysis includes solid carbon and hydrogen gas. The solid carbon can then be filtered from the output in a carbon collection system, thereby preventing the carbon from being emitted as carbon dioxide. As a result, pyrolysis reactors can transform the hydrocarbon input, such as methane, into combustible hydrogen while separating the carbon from the fuel. Furthermore, hydrogen gas can be used by many systems designed to use methane, natural gas, or other hydrocarbons. Thus, pyrolysis reactors create an opportunity to significantly reduce carbon dioxide, carbon oxide, and other greenhouse gas emissions by scrubbing the carbon from methane, natural gas, or other hydrocarbons. Accordingly, hydrocarbons (e.g., natural gas) can be de-carbonized before they are combusted or reacted (e.g., to heat a home, in a furnace, in a boiler, in an engine, and the like). However, the current technology requires additional solutions for filtering the output of the pyrolysis reactor to capture byproducts of the reaction such as organic partial reaction products, also referred to herein as “byproduct compounds” or “compounds,” to help improve the purity of product streams from pyrolysis reactors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a pyrolysis system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIGS. 2A and 2B are partially schematic diagrams of a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 3 is a partially schematic diagram of a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 4A is a partially schematic diagram of a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 4B is a partially schematic diagram of a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with further embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a process for removing organic compounds from a product stream in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process for resetting a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream in accordance with embodiments of the present technology FIG. 7A is an isometric view of a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 7B is an isometric view of a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with further embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a storage component of the system of FIGS. 7A and 7B configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a process for resetting a system for collecting organic compounds configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic side and top views, respectively, of a rotatable condenser for a system for removing organic compounds from a product stream configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Similarly, some components and/or operations can be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purpose of discussion of some of the implementations of the present technology. Moreover, while the technology is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific implementations have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the technology to the particular implementations described. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview Pyrolysis reactors heat hydrocarbon reacta