We're a little late getting news of this to you.
But, the United States Government's rapid confirmation of the West Virginia-originated technology for Carbon Dioxide utilization about which we reported in:
WVU Battery Converts CO2 + H2O into Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20130122381 - High Temperature Rechargeable Battery For Greenhouse Gas Decomposition And Oxygen Generation; May 16, 2013; Inventors: Bruce S. Kang and Huang Guo, Morgantown, WV; Abstract: This invention shows a high temperature rechargeable battery system for energy storage, oxygen generation, and decomposition of oxygen-containing gases (e.g. CO2/H2O ... . ... With carbon capture and sequestration becoming a key element in worldwide efforts to control/minimize CO2 emission, it can be anticipated that large amount of CO2 will become available for use as feedstock for innovative conversions into synthetic fuels. This invention shows a high temperature rechargeable battery system for decomposition of oxygen containing gases ... . ... During battery discharge, GHG such as CO2/H2O ... can be decomposed into syngas (CO+H2) ... (and) solar, wind or other renewable energy can be used to charge the battery ... . ... The present invention relates to the high temperature rechargeable battery system using oxygen ion conducting electrolyte which could be capable of utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power for ... converting GHG, into ... syngas";
caught us by surprise. And, although we're still way ahead of the Coal Country commercial press, who one would think ought to have some interest in such matters, we're still playing catch-up ball.
First, to summarize, the above "United States Patent Application 20130122381" is all about using environmental, "renewable" power, like that derived from "solar or wind", to convert Carbon Dioxide, as recovered from whatever handy source, along with Water, H2O, into a blend of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen, aka hydrocarbon synthesis gas, "syngas", along with byproduct Oxygen.
Such "syngas", as has long been known, can, as more fully explained in:
Bayer Improves Fischer-Tropsch Hydrocarbon Synthesis | Research & Development | News; which centers on the recent: "US Patent 8,557,880 - Multi-stage Adiabatic Method for Performing the Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis; 2013; Inventors: Ralph Schellen, et. al., Germany and Texas; Assignee: Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH, Germany; Abstract: The present invention relates to a multistage adiabatic process for performing the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis at low temperatures ... . Process for preparing liquid hydrocarbons from the process gases carbon monoxide and hydrogen";
be directly and efficiently combined and converted catalytically into a full range of hydrocarbons, including, among others, liquid fuels and organic chemicals useful as plastics manufacturing raw materials.
And, herein, we learn that technical experts in the employ of the US Government earlier this year confirmed the validity of the technology disclosed in "United States Patent Application 20130122381", through their allowance and issuance of, as excerpted from the initial link in this dispatch:
"United States Patent 8,658,311 - High Temperature Rechargeable Battery for Greenhouse Gas Decomposition and Oxygen Generation
Date: February 25, 2014
Inventors: Bruce S. Kang and Huang Guo, Morgantown, West Virginia
(Note: In our report concerning "Application 20130122381", we anticipated, since, as can be learned via:
http://www.mae.cemr.wvu.edu/faculty/faculty-detail.php?id=120&type=FACULTY; and:
http://www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~kang/;
both Kang and Guo were/are affiliated with West Virginia University, that WVU would be the Assignee of Rights to any patent issuing from "Application 20130122381". Such, apparently, is not the case; and, this CO2 utilization technology might have arisen from research undertaken by these two scientists independently of WVU. Maybe we'll eventually find out, if any of the members of the WV press corps who are among the primary addressee's of these dispatches ever find themselves motivated to explore the options which exist that could both free our vital Coal-fired power generation industries from the threat of exploitive Cap and Trade taxation while at the same time freeing our entire nation from OPEC extortion.)
Abstract: Instead of CCS technique, a possible approach to mitigate the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission is to decompose it into useful products. This invention shows a high temperature rechargeable battery system for decomposition of oxygen-containing gases (e.g CO2/H2O, NOx, SOx, in particular GHG), oxygen generation, and energy storage by using ODF/La2NiO4-based materials in Li/Ti/Mg--CO2 battery architecture. Different from ionic Lithium conducting electrolyte, the invention has a higher ionic oxygen conducting electrolyte to work efficiently at higher temperature without sacrificing safety. During battery discharge, GHG can be decomposed into syngas (CO+H2) or solid carbon, while renewable energy (e.g. solar/wind power) could be used to charge the battery and generate oxygen. The energy consumption for GHG decomposition is self-sustainable and the byproducts (i.e. carbon/syngas and oxygen) have good market values. The adoption of cost effective materials other than Lithium is significant for scaled-up applications and represents an entirely new approach.
(Note: By "CCS", the inventors mean the hugely wasteful, even inane, concept of, at great expense, capturing CO2 and then pumping it deep underground, perhaps into nearly-depleted natural petroleum reservoirs to subsidize, at the expense of consumers of Coal-based electric power, Big Oil's scrounging of petroleum dregs from those reservoirs in what is called "secondary recovery". Though not defined well in the Disclosure, "CCS" stands for "Carbon Capture and Sequestration".
Further, this invention can be applied not just to the CO2 product of combustion, but, the Nitrogen and Sulfur Oxides, "NOx, SOx", as well, much in the way they are treated by the invention disclosed in our earlier report of:
New Jersey Converts CO2 and Nitrogen Oxides into Fertilizer | Research & Development | News; concerning: "United States Patent 8,524,066 - Electrochemical Production of Urea from NOx and Carbon Dioxide; 2013; Assignee: Liquid Light Inc., NJ; Abstract: Methods and systems for electrochemical production of urea are disclosed. A method may include, but is not limited to, steps (A) to (B). Step (A) may introduce carbon dioxide and NOx to a solution of an electrolyte and a heterocyclic catalyst in an electrochemical cell. The divided electrochemical cell may include an anode in a first cell compartment and a cathode in a second cell compartment. The cathode may reduce the carbon dioxide and the NOx into a first sub-product and a second sub-product, respectively. Step (B) may combine the first sub-product and the second sub-product to produce urea";
wherein a very similar-sounding electrolytic technology breaks down not just the Carbon Dioxide byproduct of combustion, but also the Nitrogen Oxides that arise from burning fuel in air, as well.
Further, this technology is also related to similar "syntrolysis" CO2 decomposition technologies developed by the USDOE and their contractors, at the DOE's western National Laboratories. A representative example of "syntrolysis" technology is disclosed in our report of:
Utah 2011 CO2 + H2O = Hydrocarbon Syngas | Research & Development | News; concerning: "United States Patent 8,075,746 - Electrochemical Cell for Production of Synthesis Gas Using Atmospheric Air and Water; December 13, 2011; Inventors: Joseph Hartvigsen, et. al., Utah; Assignee: Ceramatec, Inc., Salt Lake City; 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".
Some Ceramatec technology is cited by Kang and Guo as precedent art, and, we will readdress those specifics in additional reports yet to follow.)
Claims: A high temperature rechargeable battery system for decomposition of oxygen-containing gases such as NOx, SO2, H2O, CO2, in particular greenhouse gas (GHG), oxygen generation and energy storage is invented by introducing an oxygen-deficient ferrites ... and/or La2NiO4 (Lanthanum Nickel Oxide)-based materials into rechargeable Lithium/Titanium/Magnesium--CO2 batteries, wherein during discharge of the battery, oxygen-containing gases like GHG can be decomposed into syngas (CO+H2) or solid carbon while renewable energy such as solar or wind energy can be used to charge the battery and generate pure oxygen.
(The above is the single and only claim made by this patent. Note that this technology, wherein a blend of gaseous CO2 and H2O is processed, is closely similar to, but also significantly different from, others about which we have reported, like that seen in the above-cited "United States Patent 8,524,066 - Electrochemical Production of Urea from NOx and Carbon Dioxide", and, in another Liquid Light innovation seen in:
New Jersey May 13, 2014, CO2 to Hydrocarbon Synthesis Gas | Research & Development | News; concerning: "United States Patent 8,721,866- Electrochemical Production of Synthesis Gas from Carbon Dioxide; 2014; Assignee: Liquid Light, Inc., NJ; Abstract: A method for electrochemical production of synthesis gas from carbon dioxide is disclosed. The method generally includes steps (A) to (C). Step (A) may bubble the carbon dioxide into a solution of an electrolyte and a catalyst in a divided electrochemical cell. The divided electrochemical cell may include an anode in a first cell compartment and a cathode in a second cell compartment. The cathode generally reduces the carbon dioxide into a plurality of components. Step (B) may establish a molar ratio of the components in the synthesis gas by adjusting at least one of (i) a cathode material and (ii) a surface morphology of the cathode. Step (C) may separate the synthesis gas from the solution. ... The method ...wherein said synthesis gas includes said plurality of components, the plurality of components include carbon monoxide and hydrogen. ... The combustion of fossil fuels in activities such as electricity generation, transportation and manufacturing produces billions of tons of carbon dioxide annually. ... Countries around the world, including the United States, are seeking ways to mitigate emissions of carbon dioxide. A mechanism for mitigating emissions is to convert carbon dioxide into economically valuable materials such as fuels and industrial chemicals";
wherein the Carbon Dioxide, along with catalytic compounds, is electrolyzed in the form of a, basically, solution or suspension in liquid water.)
Background and Field: The present invention relates to the high temperature rechargeable battery system using oxygen ion conducting electrolyte which could be capable of utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar or wind power for energy storage and efficiently converting GHG, into useable syngas, solid carbon and oxygen. The byproducts which have good market values can be used as fuel or for further processing. The usage of cheaper electrode materials (i.e. Ti/TiO2, Mg/MgO) other than Lithium can significantly reduce material cost of the scaled-up battery system and work efficiently at higher temperature without sacrificing safety.
Current approaches for the reduction of CO2 emission from large-scale fossil fuel facilities focus on carbon capture and storage (CCS) ... . Capture of CO2 for recycling ... can be achieved by absorption processes employing amines or carbonates as absorbents. The regeneration requires heating of the absorbent. This process consumes a significant portion (about.25%) of the power plant energy output (,and,) the captured CO2 is to be sequestrated to a permanent place which is another energy-consuming process and eventually, available/suitable sites for CCS sequestration will be limited.
Other preferable technology currently being examined is using captured, anthropogenically produced CO2 for the synthesis of syngas through the use of catalysts or solid oxide electrolyte cells (SOEC) [... C. M. soots (should read "Stoots"), 2006 Fuel Cell Seminar, INL/CON-06-11719 ... .
(The above reference by Kang and Guo directly cites reportage on the USDOE's development of CO2 utilization "syntrolysis" technology at the Idaho National Lab, specifically that seen in our report of:
USDOE Converts CO2 & H2O into Hydrocarbon Synthesis Gas | Research & Development | News; 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".)
Syngas can be utilized as substitute fuel gas for power plants or existing industrial boilers.
Syngas can also be further processed into hydrocarbon and carbonaceous fuels, such as Diesel, Methanol, Ammonia, and so on.
These techniques, in order to be successful, would have to be reproducible, high performing and have long-term stability and relatively low energy consumption. Recently, a new CO2-rich gas-utilizing battery has been developed ... . This Li--O2/CO2 battery utilizes a mixed gas of O2 and CO2, and has nearly three times of discharge capacity than that of a standard Li--O2 battery. The disadvantage of it is that this kind of new battery is non-rechargeable due to the difficulty of electrochemical decomposition of Li2CO3 in the cathode.
Summary: The present invention utilizes a central module composed of a rechargeable Li/Ti/Mg battery consisting of an ODF/La2NiO4-based cathode, a carbon-free ion conducting electrolyte ... and a Li/Ti/Mg anode.
Renewable energy sources such as solar or wind energy can be utilized to charge the battery, where the Li/Ti/Mg oxides can be reduced to metallic Li/Ti/Mg at the anode, producing pure oxygen at the cathode as a side product. In the battery discharge mode, at elevated temperatures, CO2 or a combination of CO2/H2O can be fed into the cathode side, generating syngas (CO+H2) and/or solid carbon while simultaneously generating electricity. The energy consumption for CO2 decomposition is self-sustainable with the integrated system, i.e. using renewable energy such as solar or wind energy ... .
Using the proposed technology, CO2 can be converted to useable syngas ... .
For large scale utilization of CO2 rich gas, the prototype of the proposed battery system can be designed with two configurations analogous to the SOFC structure ... . The configurations are easy to be assembled into large-scale cell stacks capable of large-scale electrical energy storage and CO2 decomposition with O2 generation.
The proposed high temperature rechargeable battery system can generate high quality oxygen on the catalytic cathode during the charge mode, while during the discharge mode, it generates electricity and the decomposed byproduct, i.e. syngas (CO+H2), and solid carbon on the catalytic cathode, are valuable byproducts which can offset the cost of GHG decomposition/sequestration or even make this a profitable operation."
-----------------------------
If the recent past is any indication, not too many folks in Coal Country will pay much heed to this US Government-confirmed West Virginia development, which enables the conversion of Carbon Dioxide and Water, in a process powered by one form or another of environmental, "solar or wind energy", into a synthesis gas blend of Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen, which syngas can then be catalytically condensed into, among other things, liquid hydrocarbon fuels, i.e., "Diesel, Methanol ... and so on".
Make no mistake. As seen in a formal exposition of very similar CO2 utilization technology, disclosed in our report of:
Saudi July 10, 2014 Sunshine Converts CO2 into Hydrocarbon Fuel | Research & Development | News; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20140194539 - Carbon Dioxide Conversion to Hydrocarbon Fuel via Syngas Production Cell Harnessed from Solar Radiation; Date: July 10, 2014; Inventors: Ahmad D. Hammad, et. al., Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran; Abstract: A process for converting carbon dioxide to hydrocarbon fuels using solar energy harnessed with a solar thermal power system to create thermal energy and electricity, using the thermal energy to heat a fuel feed stream, the heated fuel feed stream comprising carbon dioxide and water, the carbon dioxide captured from a flue gas stream, converting the carbon dioxide and water in a syngas production cell, the syngas production cell comprising a solid oxide electrolyte, to create carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and converting the carbon monoxide and hydrogen to hydrocarbon fuels in a catalytic reactor. In at least one embodiment, the syngas production cell is a solid oxide fuel cell. In at least one embodiment, the syngas production cell is a solid oxide electrolyzer cell. ... Claims: A process for converting carbon dioxide to hydrocarbon fuels using solar energy ... wherein the carbon dioxide is captured from a flue gas stream";
some other folks in other parts of the world, folks interested in selling us even more high-priced liquid hydrocarbon fuels, which they likely will be making from Carbon Dioxide, are very interested in it.
And, before Cap and Trade carbon taxation is allowed to cripple our economically essential Coal-fired power generation industries, and before one more drop of red US blood is shed on an Arabian desert, or spilled into the Persian Gulf, and before one more red US cent is squandered on OPEC oil, someone needs to scrape together the fortitude to step up and speak the truth:
Carbon Dioxide, as it arises in only a small way - - relative to some all-natural and un-taxable sources of it's emission, such as the Earth's inexorable processes of planetary volcanism - - from our economically essential use of Coal in the generation of truly abundant and genuinely affordable electric power, is a valuable raw material resource.
As demonstrated by scientists associated with West Virginia University - - and as confirmed by independent technical experts employed by the United States Government through their allowance of our subject, "United States Patent 8,658,311 - High Temperature Rechargeable Battery for Greenhouse Gas Decomposition and Oxygen Generation" - - environmental energy of one form or another can be harnessed to break Carbon Dioxide, as recovered from whatever handy source, in combination with Water vapor, down into Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
The Carbon Monoxide and Hydrogen comprise a reactive "synthesis gas" which, as has long been known, can then be directly consumed in the catalytic synthesis of hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals.