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US-20260126423-A1 - SYSTEM FOR MEASURING AND TRANSMITTING A VARIABLE DIHYDROGEN CONTENT FOR AN EXTERNAL RECEIVER

US20260126423A1US 20260126423 A1US20260126423 A1US 20260126423A1US-20260126423-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for real-time measurement of a variable dihydrogen content 3 in a gas stream and for transmitting information relating to said measured dihydrogen content in the gas stream to at least one external receiver 4 located outside said system and not communicating with a combustion system. The invention also relates to a method for real-time measurement of the dihydrogen content in a gas stream and for transmitting information representative of said dihydrogen content to at least one receiver 4 not communicating with a combustion system.

Inventors

  • Nicolas Obrecht
  • CYRILLE CALLU

Assignees

  • TOTALENERGIES ONETECH

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20230428
Priority Date
20220428

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . System for real-time measurement of a dihydrogen content present in a gas stream and for transmitting information representative of said dihydrogen content to at least one external receiver ( 4 ) located outside said system; said system ( 3 ) comprising: at least one unit ( 30 ) for measuring the dihydrogen content contained in the natural gas stream passing through said system, at least one unit ( 31 ) for processing and transmitting the information representative of said dihydrogen content determined by said measurement unit ( 30 ) to at least one external receiver ( 4 ) located outside said system not burning dihydrogen, said receiver ( 4 ) corresponding to a system for controlling a unit for producing dihydrogen or a unit for separating dihydrogen in a mixture based on natural gas and dihydrogen.
  2. 2 . System according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit ( 30 ) comprises one or more means for measuring the dihydrogen content present in the gas stream, having an acquisition frequency less than 5 seconds.
  3. 3 . System according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement unit ( 30 ) comprises one or more means for measuring the dihydrogen content in the gas stream implemented by spectroscopy, preferably by Raman spectroscopy or by laser beam absorption and wavelength modulation signal analysis spectroscopy.
  4. 4 . System according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one unit ( 32 ) for measuring the flow rate of the gas stream passing through said system ( 3 ).
  5. 5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein said receiver ( 4 ) is not burning dihydrogen, or is in a unit for producing dihydrogen, or is in a natural gas station supplied by at least one unit for producing dihydrogen; said receiver ( 4 ) corresponding to a system for controlling a unit for producing dihydrogen or a unit for separating dihydrogen in a mixture based on natural gas and dihydrogen.
  6. 6 . Method for real-time measurement of the dihydrogen content present in a gas stream and for transmitting information representative of said dihydrogen content to at least one receiver not burning dihydrogen, comprising: a step of distributing a gas stream comprising a variable dihydrogen content, obtained by a unit ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or a unit ( 2 ) for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen, a step of measuring the dihydrogen content present in the gas stream, a step of processing and transmitting the information representative of said dihydrogen content determined during the measurement step to at least one receiver ( 4 ) not burning dihydrogen; said receiver ( 4 ) corresponding to a system for controlling a unit ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or a unit ( 2 ) for separating dihydrogen in a mixture based on natural gas and dihydrogen.
  7. 7 . Method according to claim 6 , wherein the dihydrogen present in the gas stream is from a decarbonised source.
  8. 8 . Method according to claim 6 , wherein the dihydrogen present in the gas stream is from a carbon source.
  9. 9 . Method according to claim 6 , wherein the dihydrogen present in the gas stream is from a separation method in a mixture comprising natural gas and dihydrogen.
  10. 10 . Method according to claim 6 , further comprising: a step of distributing a gas stream comprising a variable dihydrogen content obtained by a system ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or a system ( 2 ) for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen, a step of measuring the variable dihydrogen content present in the gas stream, a step of processing and transmitting the information representative of said dihydrogen content determined during the measurement step to at least one system ( 4 ) for controlling the system ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or system ( 2 ) for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen, a step of controlling the system ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or the system ( 2 ) for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen according to the information received of said dihydrogen content.
  11. 11 . Assembly ( 10 ) comprising: at least one system ( 20 ) for supplying a gas stream containing a variable dihydrogen content, comprising at least one unit ( 1 ) for distributing a gas or liquid stream, connected to at least a unit ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or a unit ( 2 ) for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen, connected to at least one measurement and transmission system ( 3 ), as defined according to claim 1 , and at least one system ( 4 ) different from a dihydrogen burner; the system ( 4 ) being a system for controlling a unit ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen or a system for controlling a unit ( 2 ) for separating the mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen.
  12. 12 . Assembly ( 10 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the unit for producing dihydrogen is chosen in the group consisting of a natural gas decomposition unit, a natural gas steam reforming unit optionally equipped with a system for capturing carbon dioxide, an ammonia cracking unit, or a water electrolysis dihydrogen production unit.
  13. 13 . Assembly ( 10 ) according to claim 11 , wherein the unit for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen is a membrane or electrolysis separation unit.
  14. 14 . Assembly ( 10 ) according to claim 11 , wherein system ( 4 ) is a system for controlling the unit ( 2 ) for producing dihydrogen, as defined according to claim 11 , or a system for controlling the unit ( 2 ) for separating the mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen, as defined according to claim 11 .

Description

The present invention relates to a system for real-time measurement of a variable dihydrogen content present in a gas stream and for transmitting information representative of said measured dihydrogen content in the gas stream to at least one external receiver different from a dihydrogen burner. The invention also relates to a method for real-time measurement of a variable dihydrogen content present in a gas stream and for transmitting information representative of said measured dihydrogen content in the gas stream to at least one external receiver different from a dihydrogen burner. The invention also relates to a method for optimising a method for producing dihydrogen, preferably chosen in the group consisting of natural gas decomposition, ammonia cracking, natural gas steam reforming or water electrolysis, or a method for separating a mixture of natural gas and dihydrogen, in particular a membrane or electrolysis separation method. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising at least one system for producing a gas stream comprising a variable dihydrogen content, connected to at least one system for real-time measurement of a variable dihydrogen content present in the gas stream and for transmitting information representative of said measured dihydrogen content to at least one system different from a dihydrogen burner. The use of dihydrogen, for example from decarbonised or renewable sources, in particular in natural gas-based mixtures, appears to represent at the present time an advantageous and promising solution in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in numerous applications. By way of illustration, mention may in particular be made of electricity production, by isolated-site gas turbine or in CCGT type thermal power plants, industrial boilers, in particular hydrogen wall-mounted boilers, or natural gas motors frequently used for road transport or construction equipment, but mention may be made more generally of industrial methods controlled thanks to dihydrogen obtained with a production or fractionation method, for example by cracking ammonia. Dihydrogen also has the advantage of being capable of being injected directly into current natural gas transport, distribution or storage networks which makes it possible to route hybrid mixtures based on natural gas and dihydrogen without necessarily incurring additional high investment costs on setting up specialised infrastructures. Dihydrogen may be obtained by decomposing natural gas or ammonia, by natural gas steam reforming with optionally a step of capturing carbon dioxide, by coal or biomass gasification, or methane pyrolysis, or by decomposing water, in particular by electrolysis. Dihydrogen may also be obtained by separating dihydrogen mixed with natural gas, in particular thanks to the use of a membrane or electrochemical separation method in a mixture based on natural gas and dihydrogen. However, the performances of the gas streams obtained thanks to the use of these methods are found to depend directly on their point-in-time dihydrogen content, i.e. the conversion rate of the initial gas or liquid stream into dihydrogen. Indeed, this conversion rate generally represents an important factor to take into consideration during the use of industrial methods controlled by a dihydrogen production method. In other words, the technical, or environmental, performances of systems controlled via a method for producing or separating dihydrogen, in particular within the scope of the applications mentioned above, may be impacted by the point-in-time dihydrogen content. Hence, it may be advantageous to monitor and control parameters aimed at influencing the transformation rate of an initial gas or liquid stream into dihydrogen, for example temperature, pressure conditions, electric field, etc., in order to best optimise the dihydrogen content obtained and result in gas streams more enriched in dihydrogen. In order to better control the performances associated with dihydrogen-enriched gas streams, the solutions proposed at the present time consist for example of using gas streams having a fixed mean dihydrogen concentration according to the desired industrial application. Under such conditions, systems controlled via a method for producing dihydrogen or a method for separating a mixture based on natural gas and dihydrogen are not capable of making full use of the benefits provided by the use of dihydrogen. In light of the above, one of the aims of the present invention is that of implementing a system capable of monitoring precisely in real time the variable dihydrogen content at a given time in an initial liquid or gas stream, in particular in order to best optimise process control associated with hydrogen production or separation. In other words, there is a real need to monitor and control one or more conversion parameters of an initial liquid or gas stream into dihydrogen in order to best optimise the dihydrogen content obtained and result in stre