Conversion of carbon compounds, water and air to hydrogen and electrical energy

摘要

In a process for producing hydrogen and possibly carbon monoxide from particulate carbonaceous materials, e.g. coal, coke, lignite, oil residues, there is employed a heated reaction chamber containing fuel cells with passages 29 traversed by a mixture of particulate carbonaceous material and steam introduced through lines 5 and 9 respectively and passages 20 traversed by air and which produce electrical energy and a hot gas containing CO2 which is mixed with particulate carbonaceous material and CO2 introduced at 51 and 3, the resulting entrained steam being heated in a heater 33 and allowed to react as it descends chamber 36 to produce a gas containing principally carbon monoxide, the latter being subsequently mixed with steam and converted to H2 and CO2, in the presence of a catalyst, CO2 separated from the resulting gas being recycled to the reaction chamber. If an excess of CO is produced in the process a portion may be used to generate steam to drive a turbine connected to a generator to produce additional electrical energy. To provide additional residence time the reacting mixture comprising particulate carbonaceous material and CO2 may traverse a series of pairs of reaction chambers, one chamber of each pair having a heating unit in an upper portion thereof and fuel cells in a lower portion. Ash may be withdrawn from the base of the reaction chambers by a screw conveyer 39. CO-containing gas may be fed via line 43 into the mixture traversing the fuel cell passages 29 and in a modification may replace the mixture of carbonaceous material and steam supplied to the fuel cell passage. Cooling coils to control the temperature of the gas recycled to the fuel cells may be provided.