Co-Electrolysis of Steam and Carbon Dioxide as Feed to a Methanation Reaction
In further support of our contention that Carbon Dioxide could and should be viewed as an environmental resource, though one also conveniently available for recovery in more concentrated form directly from artificial, industrial sources, such as cement kilns and petroleum refineries, we present the enclosed and following, presented at the 2007 Meeting of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The excerpt, with brief comment appended:
"Co-Electrolysis of Steam and Carbon Dioxide as Feed to a Methanation Reaction
Lyman Frost, Joseph Hartvigsen and S. Elangovan
Ceramatec, Inc, 2425 South 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract:
Solid oxide fuel cells can be operated in reverse by applying an electric potential across the fuel cells and forcing the oxygen ion to flow in the opposite direction from the fuel cell mode. If a mixture of high temperature steam and carbon dioxide are fed to a fuel cell stack operating in this electrolysis mode, the result will be a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. By adjusting the input ratios of steam and carbon dioxide, the output of the electrolysis system can be modified to be in the proper ratio for the formation of a number of different hydrocarbons by catalytic process through either Fischer Tropsch or methanation reactions.
This paper will report on work being done at Ceramatec on use of proprietary Ceramatec solid oxide fuel cell materials operating in a high temperature electrolysis mode. The paper will report on the durability of the materials in this endothermic mode of operation and will provide data on the variation in percentages of output gases (synthesis gas) dependent on the input gas stream. The operation of a small methanation reactor on the synthesis gas will be described and the reaction results will be documented and reported."
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You know, that sounds so simple, even we can understand it, sort of. Basically, it seems, the concept is that you can run a fuel cell in reverse, by adding the things a fuel cell produces in the course of it's normal operation: energy, Carbon Dioxide and water; and coerce it to produce reactive gases that can be catalytically condensed into hydrocarbons - via an old indirect coal-to-liquid conversion technology, the Fischer-Tropsch reaction.
Energy would be required to drive the process, of course. But, herein is an opportunity for environmental energy - wind, solar, hydro, etc., - to not only be environmentally-neutral, but environmentally-positive, by providing the power both to clean up Carbon Dioxide, and to recycle it into useful products.
That, in addition to the economic benefit that liquid hydrocarbon fuels would be domestically produced.
