Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information - Sponsored by OSTI
We have many times documented, in our reports to the West Virginia Coal Association, the work of some of the US Department of Energy's National Laboratories, most notably Brookhaven and Sandia, in the development of technologies which would enable us to recycle the Carbon Dioxide by-product of our Coal use industries.
Herein, from Sandia, which is referred to as a "GOCO" facility because it is government-owned but contractor-operated, with comment appended, we present excerpts from and an additional link to:
"SANDIA REPORT SAND2007-2331: Autothermal Reforming of Natural Gas to Synthesis Gas, April 2007
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Steven F. Rice and David P. Mann; Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 and Livermore, California 94550
Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under Contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.
Abstract: This Project Final Report serves to document the project structure and technical results achieved during the 3-year project titled Advanced Autothermal Reformer for US Dept of Energy Office of Industrial Technology. The project was initiated in December 2001 and was completed March 2005. ... The purpose of the project was to ... examine (processes in the) ... Autothermal Reformer (ATR) during the production of hydrogen-carbon monoxide synthesis gas intended for Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) applications including ammonia, methanol, and higher hydrocarbons.
(Results) ... showed that the conditions ... allow for the direct participation of CO2 in the oxidation chemistry.
Reaction Chemistry Modeling: ... The results show that ... the direct incorporation of CO2 into the gas feed results in a significantly changed flame product spectrum and indicate clearly that these partial oxidation flame conditions are capable of directly converting CO2 into product syngas CO ... .
This project was designed to address a key technical issue surrounding the advanced autothermal reforming of natural gas and carbon dioxide to synthesis gas (H2/CO) for use in the production of liquid hydrocarbons including ammonia, methanol, and heavier hydrocarbons.
... Autothermal Reformer(s) (ATRs) have the potential to significantly improve the energy efficiency and technical reliability of the overall conversion of C1 compounds to liquid hydrocarbons. The implementation of ATR technology to the production of synthesis gas for Fischer-Tropsch conversion to liquid hydrocarbons hold the promise of reducing the cost of this key reforming step to a level that makes the use of C1 compounds (in this case methane as natural gas) economically viable as feedstocks.
... one of the additional goals of the project was to assess the effects of carbon dioxide recirculation in the ATR burner. As discussed in the introduction of this report, CO2 recirculation offers a way to potentially lower the overall steam-to-carbon ratio in the ATR thereby producing a product gas mix that is more amenable to GTL applications."
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We conclude our excerpts here due to the combination of very technical detail and exhaustive descriptions of experimental and bureaucratic procedure that fill the bulk of the report, which we found too large to retransmit as an attached document file.
We must note that the main point of the project seems devoted to developing ways in which Carbon Dioxide can be incorporated into a Methane reforming system without excessive soot formation, which, as we have earlier documented, is a problem in Methane-CO2 reactions that can be partially overcome by adding Steam to the reaction mix; a procedure which, according to other sources we have documented, enhances the production of hydrocarbons.
And, the researchers speak rather generically of "recycling" Carbon Dioxide, and seem to indicate that at least some of it is generated in a part of the reforming process.
Moreover, left unexplained, as if it were to assumed, is the fact that this is an "Autothermal" reforming process. As we have elsewhere documented, some of the reactions involved in Methane-Carbon Dioxide reforming are exothermic and generate heat energy, which could be reclaimed and used to help drive other steps in the process, with resulting economies.
Nonetheless: It is herein documented, by a US Department of Energy National Laboratory, that Methane can be reacted with Carbon Dioxide to produce "synthesis gas for Fischer-Tropsch conversion to liquid hydrocarbons".
And, keep in mind that, as the Nobel Committee affirmed in 1912, through award of their Prize in Chemistry to Paul Sabatier, the needed Methane can itself be synthesized from Carbon Dioxide.