We, actually, weren't going to make report of the technology disclosed herein. It is another version of the process, developed by our United States Department of Energy, known as "Syntrolysis", whereby Carbon Dioxide and Water can be co-electrolyzed, with the products of the electrolysis being Oxygen, and, a blend of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen comprising a synthesis gas, or "syngas", suitable for catalytic chemical condensation into various hydrocarbons.
Our past reports on the USDOE's Syntrolysis technology have included, for instance:
West Virginia Coal Association | USDOE Converts CO2 & H2O into Hydrocarbon Synthesis Gas | Research & Development; concerning: "'High-Temperature Co-Electrolysis of H2O and CO2 for Syngas Production'; 2006 Fuel Cell Seminar; Carl M. Stoots; November 2006; Idaho National Laboratory; United States Department of Energy; Abstract: Worldwide, the demand for light hydrocarbon fuels like gasoline and diesel oil is increasing. To satisfy this demand, oil companies have begun to utilize oil deposits of lower hydrogen content (e.g., Athabasca Oil Sands). Additionally, the higher contents of sulfur and nitrogen of these resources requires processes such as hydrotreating to meet environmental requirements. In the mean time, with the price of oil currently over $70 / barrel, synthetically-derived hydrocarbon fuels (synfuels) have become economical. Synfuels are typically produced from syngas - - hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) - - using the Fischer-Tropsch process, discovered by Germany before World War II. South Africa has used synfuels to power a significant number of their buses, trucks, and taxicabs. The Idaho National Laboratory (INL), in conjunction with Ceramatec Inc. (Salt Lake City, USA) has been researching the use of solid-oxide fuel cell technology to electrolyze steam for large-scale nuclear-powered hydrogen production. Now, an experimental research project is underway at the INL to investigate the feasibility of producing syngas by simultaneously electrolyzing steam and carbon dioxide (CO2) at high-temperature using solid oxide fuel cell technology. H2O + CO2 = H2 + CO + O2. The syngas can then be used for synthetic fuel production".
There are other expositions of Syntrolysis about which we've reported; and, we were not originally intending to make report of the one we bring to your attention herein.
It posits, as you will see, the use of nuclear reactor energy to provide the heat and electricity needed to effect the splitting of CO2 and H2O into Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen; and, such use of dangerous reactors shouldn't be necessary. As seen for one example in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | USDOE "Green Freedom" CO2 Recycling | Research & Development; concerning the USDOE presentation of: "Green Freedom (TM) - A Concept for Producing Carbon-Neutral Synthetic Fuels; 2007; Los Alamos National Laboratory; Introduction: We have developed a low-risk, transformational concept, called Green Freedom (TM), for large scale production of carbon-neutral, sulfur-free fuels and chemicals from air and water. Green Freedom (TM) utilizes carbon-neutral power to recover carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; split water into hydrogen; and, convert hydrogen and carbon dioxide into synthetic fuels and organic chemicals ... (and we) have developed Green Freedom (TM) concepts for evaluation specifically for production of methanol and gasoline";
the USDOE points out that any available source of "carbon-neutral power" would be suitable.
However, a recent development in Carbon Dioxide recycling art about which we will report in coming days makes direct and specific reference to the thermo-electrical-chemical processes disclosed herein as precedent art; and, we wanted to establish the groundwork.
Thus, as excerpted from the initial link in this dispatch, we submit further exposition, by our own United States Department of Energy, of how Carbon Dioxide, an abundant natural resource that is co-produced in a small way, relative to some natural sources of emission, such as the earth's inexorable processes of planetary volcanism, from our essential use of Coal in the generation of abundant and truly affordable electric power, can be reclaimed and, then, in conjunction with Water, H2O, be converted into a hydrocarbon synthesis gas, consisting primarily of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen and suitable for the catalytic chemical synthesis of a wide range of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals:
"United States Patent 7,951,283 - High Temperature Electrolysis for Syngas Production
Patent US7951283 - High temperature electrolysis for syngas production - Google Patents
High temperature electrolysis for syngas production - Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
Date: May 31, 2011
Inventor: Carl Stoots, et. al., Idaho
Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance
(Our Work | Laboratory Management | Idaho National Laboratory | Battelle; (Idaho National Laboratory, managed by) "Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (Battelle) with Babcock & Wilcox, URS Corporation, Electric Power Research Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology as integrated management subcontractors".)
Abstract: Syngas components hydrogen and carbon monoxide may be formed by the decomposition of carbon dioxide and water or steam by a solid-oxide electrolysis cell to form carbon monoxide and hydrogen, a portion of which may be reacted with carbon dioxide to form carbon monoxide. One or more of the components for the process, such as steam, energy, or electricity, may be provided using a nuclear power source.
(Note: The above "solid-oxide electrolysis cell" is very much like that disclosed in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | Utah 2011 CO2 + H2O = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,075,746 - Electrochemical Cell for Production of Synthesis Gas Using Atmospheric Air and Water; 2011; Assignee: Ceramatec, Inc.; Abstract: A method is provided for synthesizing synthesis gas from carbon dioxide obtained from atmospheric air or other available carbon dioxide source and water using a sodium-conducting electrochemical cell. Synthesis gas is also produced by the coelectrolysis of carbon dioxide and steam in a solid oxide fuel cell or solid oxide electrolytic cell. The synthesis gas produced may then be further processed and eventually converted into a liquid fuel suitable for transportation or other applications";
with the above "Ceramatec" having been partners of the USDOE in the development of Syntrolysis at the Idaho National Laboratory. However, the USDOE does have, as we will eventually see in a few reports to follow, it's own designs for such "solid-oxide electrolysis cell"s for the conversion of Carbon Dioxide and Water into hydrocarbon syngas.)
Government Interests: This invention was made with government support under DE-AC07-05ID14517 awarded by the United States Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.
Claims: A method for producing at least one syngas component, comprising: directly exposing water and carbon dioxide to heat generated by a nuclear power source to produce a feed stream comprising steam and the carbon dioxide; combining the feed stream with nitrogen and hydrogen to produce an inlet stream comprising the steam, the carbon dioxide, the hydrogen., and the nitrogen: introducing the inlet stream to a cathode side of at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell; supplying an electrical current produced by the nuclear power source to the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell to decompose the steam and the carbon dioxide of the inlet steam with the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide; and selecting a magnitude of the electrical current supplied to the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell to produce the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide at a ratio of about 2 to 1.
(Again, this patent is specific to a "nuclear power source". But, as all should know, we don't need nuclear power to generate "steam".)
The method ... further comprising selecting the nuclear power source from the group consisting of a nuclear power plant, a nuclear power facility, a nuclear battery, and a portable nuclear power source.
The method ... further comprising configuring the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell to comprise: a cathode; an anode; and an electrolyte positioned between the cathode and anode (and) further comprising selecting a nickel-zirconia cermet material to comprise the cathode.
(A "a nickel-zirconia cermet material" is just a blend of ceramic and metal, a composite; thus "cermet"; and, it is nothing truly exotic.)
The method ... further comprising selecting a strontium doped lanthanum manganite material to comprise the anode (and) further comprising selecting yttria stabilized zirconia material to comprise the electrolyte.
(Note that this is a "solid" electrolytic cell, not like water solution electrolysis cells we all might be a bit more familiar with.)
The method ... further comprising increasing the electrical current to increase a concentration of the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide produced by the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell (and) wherein increasing the electrical current comprises increasing the electrical current to greater than about 2 amps.
(The above "2 amps" of electricity is a little ambiguous, actually. That doesn't sound like a lot; but, we would need to know some other parameters, such as the needed voltage, to get some idea just how much juice something like this would consume.)
The method ... further comprising routing the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide to a synfuel production process.
The method ... further comprising reacting at least a portion of the hydrogen with the carbon dioxide to produce carbon monoxide.
(The above is one way to convert CO2 into Carbon Monoxide, known as the "reverse water gas shift reaction", or, more simply, "reverse conversion"; as explained more fully, for one example, in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | France Efficient CO2 to Carbon Monoxide Conversion | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20030113244 - Method for Producing Carbon Monoxide by Reverse Conversion with an Adapted Catalyst; 2003; Inventor: Rene Dupont, et. al., France; Assignee: Air Liquide; Abstract: The invention concerns a method for producing carbon monoxide by reverse conversion, in gas phase, of carbonic acid gas and gaseous hydrogen".)
The method ... further comprising producing the carbon dioxide as an off-gas or waste gas in a manufacturing process ... .
A process for producing hydrogen and carbon monoxide, comprising: directly exposing water and carbon dioxide to heat generated by a nuclear power source to produce a feed stream comprising steam and carbon dioxide; combining the feed stream with nitrogen and hydrogen to produce an inlet stream comprising the steam, the carbon dioxide, the hydrogen, and the nitrogen; introducing the inlet stream to a cathode side of at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell to decompose the steam into hydrogen and oxygen ions and the carbon dioxide of the inlet stream into carbon monoxide; and providing an electrical current produced by the nuclear power source to the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell; and selecting a magnitude of the electrical current provided to the at least one solid-oxide electrolysis cell to produce the hydrogen and the carbon monoxide at a ratio of about 2 to 1.
The process ... further comprising providing a carbon dioxide source to supply the carbon dioxide, wherein the carbon dioxide source is selected from the group consisting of a combustion process, a cement clinker process, a petrochemical refining process and a carbon dioxide storage facility.
(As we've previously alerted you, if we pay higher electric bills so that Carbon Dioxide can be collected from power plant exhaust gas streams and then pumped into "sequestration" reservoirs, that is, underground "storage", someone is going to come along and start treating that "sequestered" CO2 like a new form of natural gas, and start extracting CO2 from that "carbon dioxide storage facility", and, then, as herein, converting it into valuable hydrocarbon synthesis gas.)
The method ... further comprising collecting oxygen from the anode.
(Such "oxygen" would be an industrially valuable byproduct, the sale of which could help to offset the costs of producing the hydrocarbon synthesis gas from Carbon Dioxide.)
Background and Field: Field of the Invention: Embodiments of the invention relate to the production of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) and in particular to the production of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from water or steam and carbon dioxide; the hydrogen and carbon monoxide may be used in fuel production.
A known source of cleaner fuels includes synthetic fuels, or synfuels, made from synthesis gas, or syngas. The conversion of syngas into synfuels, using processes such as the Fischer-Tropsch process, is known and has been used throughout the world.
In recent times, with the sustained prices for oil reaching over fifty dollars per barrel, the conversion of syngas into synfuels provides a viable economic alternative to the continued use of naturally occurring sources of oil and fuels produced from such sources.
Further, synfuels may burn cleaner than natural oil and fuels produced therefrom.
Syngas comprises carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2). Syngas may be converted or refined to form synfuels such as methane.
For example, carbon monoxide and hydrogen may be catalyzed in a Fischer-Tropsch process to convert the carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons.
The synfuels produced from the syngas may include high purity fuels having fewer pollutants than naturally occurring fuels or fuels processed from naturally occurring oil deposits.
The production of syngas is required for the production of synfuels. As the economic viability of producing synfuels from syngas improves, new sources of syngas and methods for producing syngas have been developed.
High temperature solid-oxide fuel cells may be used to produce electricity and water from hydrogen and oxygen. When run in reverse, the solid-oxide fuel cells act as solid-oxide electrolysis cells, which are able to electrolytically reduce and split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Thus, water may be converted into hydrogen, which may be combined with carbon monoxide to form a syngas.
Summary: According to embodiments of the invention, hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) may be formed from water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) using a solid-oxide electrolysis cell to decompose the water to hydrogen and oxygen, to decompose carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and oxygen, and to react carbon dioxide with at least some of the produced hydrogen to form water and carbon monoxide.
The hydrogen and carbon monoxide produced according to embodiments of the invention may be used as syngas components for the production of synfuels according to conventional methods.
Solid-oxide electrolysis cells suitable for use with embodiments of the invention may include a porous cathode, a gas-tight electrolyte, and a porous anode. A power source for providing an electrical current across a solid-oxide electrolysis cell may also be incorporated with embodiments of the invention. The solid-oxide electrolysis cells used with particular embodiments of the invention may include any conventional solid-oxide electrolysis cell and any conventional materials used to form the cathodes, anodes, and electrolytes of such solid-oxide electrolysis cells.
In some embodiments of the invention, solid-oxide electrolysis cells may be grouped together to create one or more arrays of solid-oxide electrolysis cells. Water, such as water in the form of steam, may be fed to the arrays of solid-oxide electrolysis cells where the water comes into contact with a cathode side of the solid-oxide electrolysis cells. An electrical current in the cathode of a solid-oxide electrolysis cell facilitates the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen ions (O-2). Carbon dioxide (CO2) may also be fed to the arrays of solid-oxide electrolysis cells, which may result in the decomposition of carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide (CO) and oxygen ions. The oxygen ions pass through an electrolyte to an anode of the solid-oxide electrolysis cell where the oxygen ions combine to form oxygen (O2), releasing electrons. The oxygen may be collected as a product stream of the process. The hydrogen and carbon monoxide may not pass through the electrolyte and may be collected as a product stream of the process.
In other embodiments of the invention, carbon dioxide may be introduced to the cathode side of a solid-oxide electrolysis cell with water, or steam. The carbon dioxide may react with hydrogen formed by the decomposition of water on the cathode side of the solid-oxide electrolysis cell. Reaction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen forms water and carbon monoxide. The water may be further decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen according to embodiments of the invention. The carbon monoxide formed by the reaction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen may be collected as a product of the process.
According to embodiments of the invention, carbon monoxide and hydrogen collected from the decomposition of water, carbon dioxide, or a combination of water and carbon dioxide and the reaction of carbon dioxide with hydrogen may be collected, stored, or otherwise provided to a synfuels production process. As noted previously, syngas is comprised of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The syngas components produced by embodiments of the invention may be used to form synfuels according to conventional methods.
Power sources that may be used with embodiments of the invention may include any power source suitable for providing an electrical current through the solid-oxide electrolysis cell. For example, a power source may include any direct current power source such as an electric outlet connected to a commercial power grid, a generator powered by gas, electricity, wind, water, steam, nuclear energy, solar energy, or other energy source.
An electrical power plant that burns coal ... to produce electricity may serve as a source of carbon dioxide for a syngas production process according to embodiments of the invention. The electrical power plant may also provide electricity and heat, which may be used with a syngas production process.
Similarly, electricity produced by the electrical power plant may be used in a syngas production process to provide an electrical current to the one or more solid-oxide electrolysis cells 100 being used to produce syngas. Electricity produced by the electrical power plant may also be used to generate steam or other necessary components for a syngas production process.
(The) conversion of steam and carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and hydrogen using solid-oxide electrolysis cells is feasible (and) the conversion of steam and carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and hydrogen (in examples illustrated) produced a ratio of hydrogen (in the syngas) which is appropriate for Fischer-Tropsch conversion of syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) to synfuels."
-----------------------
In other words, folks, your tax dollars helped your government figure out how to, using a variety of energy sources, including, if you read the full Disclosure, waste power plant heat and excess electricity, convert Carbon Dioxide and Water into a synthesis gas blend of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide "appropriate for Fischer-Tropsch conversion" into "synfuels".
You haven't, somewhat inexplicably and inexcusably, been told that fact yet by anyone, but, the implications for domestic US liquid hydrocarbon fuel self-sufficiency and abatement of the Coal-fired power plant carbon taxation nonsense should be obvious.
And, even further refinements on such technology for recycling the valuable CO2 byproduct of our use of Coal in the generation of abundant and truly affordable electric power have been, and are being, made.
As we will see in reports yet to follow, which disclose even more efficient means to convert, as herein, "steam and carbon dioxide to" a blend of "carbon monoxide and hydrogen ... which is appropriate for Fischer-Tropsch conversion ... to synfuels".