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INVENTION
Patent of the Russian Federation RU2121197

MODULAR POWER PLANT FOR OBTAINING, BASICALLY, HYDROGEN FROM SOLAR ENERGY AND METHOD OF OBTAINING ELECTRICITY

The name of the inventor: Wolf Jonssen (DE)
The name of the patent holder: Hannelore Binsmeier (DE)
Address for correspondence:
Date of commencement of the patent: 1994.11.12

The basic design includes a module for converting solar energy into biomass, a gasification module in the form of a gasification reactor for biomass gasification, a storage module in which hydrogen is stored. The conversion module comprises a biomass collection unit and a processing unit for processing biomass to form a preliminary product for gasification. The gasification module is connected to the processing unit by a loading device. The storage module is connected to the gasification module by means of a fuel gas cleaning means. The output of the gasification module is so consistent with the capacity of the installation that the flow of a portion of the fuel gas can be used to generate steam, and the flow of the other part and / or waste heat from the modular power plant can be used to dry the collected biomass. The method of generating electricity is based on a modular power plant of this type. The invention allows decentralized conversion of solar energy in a simple way.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a modular power plant for producing mainly hydrogen from solar energy. The term "mainly hydrogen" means that it is hydrogen that is the product for which the process is intended. The term "modular power station" means that the power plant contains a number of modules performing various functions, and of which the power plant can be assembled using a building system from standardized modules, if it were. Modules are mass-produced elements. Of course, they are connected by loading lines and control lines. The invention relates to a method for generating electric power through such a modular power plant.

A well-known modular power plant for the production of mainly hydrogen from solar energy does not exist. Nevertheless, the known solar power plants contain a number of similar elements or solar collectors for the collection of solar energy, which is converted into electricity by means of a photoelectric effect or by the use of thermal effect by using heat engines. Other known power plants contain at least one reactor for gasification of fossil fuels, as well as biomass for producing fuel gas, which is used, for example, by circulation through thermal engines.

"Biomass" is a generic term for all regenerable raw materials, i.e. materials that can be re-produced by biological means, essentially with a predictable production rate that depends on the growing season in the region. Therefore, biomass differs from fossil raw materials, which are formed much more slowly than they are used. Biomass can be purchased, in essence, with an intact cell structure or with a disrupted structure, for example in the form of a fine powder. Biomass consists mainly of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, and contains a small amount of protein and sulfur. In describing the invention, the term "biomass" is used, in particular, for the designation of C 4 plants, the classification of plants according to the type of photosynthesis and plants rich in lignin. In the invention, perennial plants are used to produce biomass.

Molecular hydrogen - as a raw material for power generation - is not available, so it must be obtained from hydrogen-containing raw materials. When hydrogen is produced from water by ordinary electrolysis, more current is consumed than hydrogen can produce, so it should be excluded from the very beginning. Catalytic splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen - the process is very slow and allows only small quantities to be obtained at high costs, as a result of which this process is unattractive for industrial applications. It has long been known about the possibility of using coal to produce a synthetic gas, consisting mainly of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Known and necessary for this installation. This process is called coal gasification. In the reaction of changing the ratio of carbon monoxide to hydrogen, the carbon monoxide in the syngas can be converted to hydrogen and carbon dioxide by introducing water vapor at an elevated temperature. Carbon dioxide can be easily removed. The resulting hydrogen can be used for a variety of purposes, in particular for the generation of electricity through fuel cells or for the operation of internal combustion engines.

Until now, hydrogen has been obtained centrally at large plants, usually based on fossil fuels.

The invention is based on the technical problem of decentralized conversion of solar energy in a simple way, mainly to hydrogen. To solve this technical problem, the invention relates to a modular power plant for producing mainly hydrogen from solar energy, the modular power plant comprising:

A) a conversion module for converting solar energy to biomass essentially free of natural sulfur, in the form of an agricultural cultivation surface for growing plants, in particular C4 plants being converted into biomass;

B) a gasification module in the form of a reactor for biomass gasification in the presence of water vapor to produce a hydrogen-containing fuel gas at temperatures and during the processing time of the gasification products in the gasification zone of the reactor so as to suppress the resin condensation in the gasification modulation zones downstream of the gasification zone And / or in a downstream module; and

C) a storage module in which the resulting fuel gas or hydrogen is stored,

The conversion module comprising a biomass collection unit and a processing unit for converting the biomass to a preliminary gasification product, the gasification module being connected by a loading device to the processing unit, the storage module being connected to the gasification module by means of the fuel gas cleaning means, the gasification module output and the storage module Are coordinated with each other with respect to the capacity of the plant and are adjusted so that the flow of a portion of the fuel gas is used to generate steam, and the flow of the other part and / or waste heat from the modular power plant is used to dry the collected biomass, the size of the conversion unit relative to the cultivation area is selected In accordance with a predetermined capacity of the installation in each particular case, the conversion unit comprises a processing unit in the form of at least one biomass harvesting machine and in the form of a chopper or tabletting means and comprises a storage means for the treated biomass so as to compensate for deviations in the amount of treated biomass from - the growth conditions, the main elements of the conversion module, the gasification module and the storage module are pre-fabricated in the form of elements of a modular power plant that can be transported in an assembled or disassembled state. Of course, according to the invention, it is possible to install a number of modular power stations of the said structure side by side, and the conversion module may be designed to serve a number of modular power plants. The resulting hydrogen can be used on site or sold.

The invention is based on the discovery that the solar energy can be obtained and stored in large quantities and in accordance with the vegetation period of the geographical zone with little technical complexity, using natural solar collectors, i.e. Plants that are converted to biomass. The solar energy stored in this way can be converted to hydrogen without large costs and stored in the form of hydrogen, and used in this form. For this purpose, individual modules are made centrally and transferred to a storage location or, if necessary, disassembled into other elements for transport. At the installation site, the conversion module in the prescribed manner is coordinated with the power for which the gasification module and the storage module are intended and which is to this extent predetermined. The invention combines a natural process of converting solar energy with hardware elements into a resulting conversion module with tested fuel gas generation and hydrogen production units, also called modules.

In more detail, according to the invention, there are various possibilities for further development and design. A preferred embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the gasification module is intended for allothermic gasification and is used so that the fuel gas has a hydrogen-biomass ratio greater than one. Advantageously, the gasification module is provided with a pressurized gasification reactor and uses water vapor as a gasifying and fluidizing agent, which in itself is known for the case of fossil fuel materials (for example, compare with EP 0329673 B1). According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gasification module is so adapted to allothermic gasification at the lowest possible temperature that the fuel gas contains at least about 50% hydrogen.

Hydrogen can be separated from the fuel gas in a known manner and stored under pressure in pressure vessels. Instead, hydrogen can be separated from the fuel gas and stored as a metal hydride.

The modular power plant according to the invention can be operated independently and at a low cost. To this end, in accordance with the invention, there is additionally provided a steam generation module heated by a flow of a portion of the fuel gas. In addition, the conversion module can be equipped with a drying means, heated by the waste heat of the modular power station. In the modular power plant according to the invention, ash is produced during gasification. It can be returned in the form of fertilizer to the conversion module. Plants that are converted to biomass, in particular "C4" -plants, undergo 5-10 or more growing seasons before they die, and before the cultivation zone representing the transformation module has to be updated. The waste heat is accumulated in the modular power plant according to the invention, and it can be returned to the process, in particular in the case of the allothermic process.

The following is a more detailed technological description of the features of the invention. With regard to partial oxidation, the gasification module can be operated in various embodiments. In particular, direct partial combustion of biomass in the oxidation reactor can be caused. In a particular important embodiment, the partial oxidation is caused alternately by the supply of generated heat and a gasifying substance containing mainly water vapor. This method, in another context, is known as allothermic gasification. Heat generated from the outside must be supplied during allothermic gasification, since the reaction between the biomass and the water vapor, at which the fuel gas is formed, is generally endothermic. The heat for partial oxidation can preferably be generated by burning biomass or fuel gas. Advantageously, the partial oxidation heat is supplied to the oxidation reactor by supplying a conventional heat-carrier gas by means of a heat exchanger. In another embodiment of the method according to the invention, partial oxidation is caused without supply of externally generated heat using a gasifying agent consisting essentially of water vapor and molecular oxygen or air. This method, in another context, is known as autothermal gasification. In its process, exothermic oxidation reactions take place with molecular oxygen contained in the gasifying agent, whereby the required heat is thus obtained "in place" for the endothermic reaction between water vapor and biomass. Autothermal or allothermic gasification, in principle, is known from "StahL und Eisen", vol. 110, 1990, No. 8, S.S. 131-136, but in a different context. In the modular power plant according to the invention, allothermic gasification is preferred to optimize the production of hydrogen.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings, which are given by way of example only, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a modular power plant according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a functional diagram corresponding to FIG. 1; And Fig. 3 is a further refinement of the functional diagram corresponding to FIG. 2.

In the drawings, a modular power plant is shown for the production of mainly hydrogen from solar energy. The modular power plant contains three special-purpose modules, i.e., a conversion module 1 for converting solar energy into biomass essentially free of natural sulfur, in the form of an agricultural cultivation surface for growing plants, in particular C4 plants being converted into biomass. In general, perennial plants will be used. Gasifying unit 2 in the form of a gasification reactor for biomass gasification in the presence of steam to generate fuel gas at temperatures and during the processing time of gasification products in the gasification zone of the reactor so as to condense the resin in the zones of the gasification module downstream of the gasification zone and / Or in the downstream fuel cell module. Storage module 3 receives a hydrogen rich fuel gas and / or oxygen. The conversion module 1 comprises a biomass collection unit 4 and a processing unit 5 for converting the biomass into a preliminary product for gasification. The gasification module 2 is connected by a charging device 6 to the treatment unit 5. The storage module 3, containing for example a metal hydride storage means 7, is connected by means of the fuel gas cleaning means 8 to the gasification module 2. In this design, the output of the gasification module 2 And the storage module 3 are matched to each other and to the installation capacity and adjusted so that the flow of a portion of the fuel gas is used to generate steam, and the flow of the other part and / or waste heat from the modular power plant is used to dry the collected biomass. Storage module 3 may comprise a plurality of storage elements, although this is not shown. The conversion unit 1 comprises a biomass processing unit 5 in the form of a chopper 9 or a tabletting means 10. The conversion module 1 and has a means 11 for storing the treated biomass to compensate for variations in the amount of treated biomass due to growth conditions. The main elements of the conversion module 1a and the gasification module 2 and the storage module 3 are transported in an assembled or disassembled state and are usually preprocessed centrally. As shown in Fig. 2, the gasification module 2 is intended for allothermic gasification. The actual gasification reactor 15 is generally designed for gasification under pressure using water vapor, which serves as a gasifying and fluidizing agent. In addition, in the present example, a steam generation module 12 with a pipeline 13 is provided, which module is heated by burning a portion of the fuel gas stream. As indicated, it is possible to use waste heat. Hydrogen mono is removed from the modular power plant via pipeline 14 and used on site or fed into the network.

In Fig. 2 shows a gasification module 2 containing a gasification reactor 15, a means 16 for supplying preliminary products for gasification, and an outlet channel 17 for ash. There is also a heat exchanger 18 for overheating water vapor. The heat exchanger 18 is heated by means of a combustion chamber 19 into which a stream of a fuel gas portion is supplied. The water necessary to produce water vapor is supplied by the water treatment means 20 and supplied to the steam generator 21. Of course, the necessary pumps, valves and means for utilizing the waste heat are connected of course.

The gasification module 2 and the storage module 3 are connected by means of a unit 22, one important element of which is a reactor 23 in which the hydrogen content in the fuel gas is increased by the conversion of the water gas. This unit also comprises a heat exchanger 24 and a quenching means 25.

The method illustrated in FIG. 3, can be embodied in the invention. In this method, electricity is generated from hydrogen by means of fuel cells. In Fig. 3 shows, first of all, an oxidation reactor module 101 for producing a feed fuel gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide from the biomass by means of an oxygen-containing gasifying agent. In the illustrated embodiment, the operation of the oxidation reactor module is allothermic. To this end, steam is supplied to the oxidation reactor module from the steam generator 115 via the gasification agent flow control element 116. The biomass is fed to the biomass flow control element 111. The reformer 102 for storing hydrogen from the raw fuel gas in the reforming elements 103, 103 'by reaction with the storage material is connected to the oxidation reactor module by means of a cyclone filter 117, a resin filter 118 and a condenser 119. To this end, a raw fuel gas supply line 105 . The suspended substances are separated from the raw fuel gas by means of a cyclone filter 117. The resin filter 118 removes undesirable minimum amounts of tar precipitation from the raw fuel gas. Residues of water vapor in the fuel gas produced after allothermic gasification are separated by a condenser 119. The reforming elements 103, 103 'are in the form of sponge iron reactors. Concealed hydrogen, present in the form of carbon monoxide, and reduces iron oxide to form sponge iron. The use of sponge iron reactors as a reforming element 103 is advantageous because the porous structure of the sponge iron is suitable for filtering the residues of toxic substances from the raw fuel gas. The feed fuel gas flowing through the raw fuel gas outlet pipe 106 from the reforming element 103 connected to the oxidation reactor module 101 may contain constituents which can also be used, in particular hydrogen, a and methane. In this exemplary embodiment, those components that are still used are used in a combustion apparatus with heat exchanger 120 to supply the oxidation reactor module 101 with the thermal energy required for allothermic gasification. The exhaust gas from the combustion apparatus 120 is passed through a waste gas purifier 121, in which carbon dioxide can be separated in particular. The off-gas thus purified can be discharged into the environment. In the illustrated embodiment, the reformer module 102 comprises a second reforming element 103 '. The latter is connected to the fuel cell module 104. A water-containing clean fuel gas that is substantially free of carbon can be discharged from the second reforming element 103 'via the exhaust line 107 for pure fuel gas. For this purpose, the reformer module 102 comprises a water vapor supply pipe 108, through which water vapor enters the reforming element 103 '. The reaction of the sponge iron with water leads to the formation of hydrogen from pure fuel gas. The generation of water vapor takes place in the steam generator 122 of steam. The clean fuel gas discharged from the reformer element 103 is supplied to the fuel cell module 104 via the exhaust line 107 for pure fuel gas. This element contains at least one low-temperature fuel cell. In this embodiment, there is a photoelectromagnetic (PEM) fuel cell 125. To generate electricity, a clean fuel gas is passed over the anode 128 located on one side of the polymer membrane 124 of the fuel cell 125. A cathode 129 is located on the opposite side of the polymer membrane 124. Preferably atmospheric oxygen, is passed over this cathode by means of a fuel supply conduit 130. As a result, hydrogen from the pure fuel gas is oxidized to form water in the space of the fuel cell 125 on the side of the cathode. This leads to the generation of electricity that can be abstracted at pin 127. In the exhaust line 107 for pure fuel gas, a condenser 123 can be provided to separate steam from pure fuel gas. Of course, it is recommended to leave a minimum amount of water in the clean fuel gas, since the membrane 124 of the FEM of the fuel cell 125 should not be allowed to dry. The control device comprises a first control means for controlling the production of the raw fuel gas in accordance with the hydrogen reaction with the storage material and the second control means for controlling By the release of a clean fuel gas in accordance with the electricity withdrawn from the fuel cell module 104. The first control means comprises a gas sensor 110, preferably a CO sensor, in the raw fuel gas outlet pipe 106, a biomass flow control element 111 in the oxidation reactor module and a first controller. The second control means comprises a voltage sensor 112 for measuring the voltage generated by the fuel cell module 104, the water vapor flow control element 113 in the steam supply line 108, and the second controller. The first and second regulators are designed as a single computing unit 114. Both regulators work in such a way that, on the one hand, the raw fuel gas is controlled in accordance with the reaction of hydrogen with the storage material, and on the other hand, there is separate control of the release of clean fuel gas In accordance with the electricity withdrawn from the fuel cell module 104. In more detail, the gas sensor 110 determines the flow of the reduction in the reforming element 103 connected to the oxidation reactor module 101. If the raw fuel gas is produced at a rate greater than the corresponding reduction rate in the reforming element 103, for example, the carbon monoxide content in the raw fuel gas exhaust pipe 106 increases. Then, the calculation unit 114 reduces the biomass feed to the oxidation reactor module 101 by the biomass flow control element 111, and vice versa. Instead, it can be controlled by the gasifying agent flow control element 116. In the second control means, the voltage sensor 112 measures the voltage drop at the high load at pin 127 in comparison with the rated voltage. If the voltage drop increases, the calculating unit 114 controls the water vapor flow control element 113 in such a way that more water vapor is supplied through the steam supply pipe 108 to the reforming element 103 connected to the fuel cell module 104. Finally, it is evident from the figure that means 109 are provided for switching the raw fuel gas supply line 105 and the raw fuel gas outlet pipe 106, on the one hand, and the clean fuel gas discharge pipe 107 and the steam supply line 108, on the other hand , Between various reactors based on sponge iron. With these switching means 109, both reforming elements 192 are connected to the oxidation reactor module 101 or to the fuel cell module 104 in accordance with the amount of stored hydrogen. Once the reformer 103 'connected to the fuel cell module 104 is substantially oxidized, it is separated from the fuel cell module 104 by the switching means 109 and connected to the oxidation reactor module 101. Conversely, in the case of a significant reduction, the reforming element 103 connected to the oxidation reactor module 101 is separated from the latter and, if necessary, is connected to the fuel cell module 104. In order to control the switching means 109, it is advantageous to use a voltage sensor 112 and a gas sensor 110. In addition, the control side 109 controls the computing side 114. Of course, in the control steps according to the invention, other sensor means other than those which Are indicated in the above embodiment.

CLAIM

1. A modular power plant for producing mainly hydrogen from solar energy, comprising: a) a conversion module for converting solar energy into biomass substantially free from natural sulfur, in the form of an agricultural cultivation surface for growing plants, in particular a C4- Plants transformed into biomass; B) a gasification module in the form of a reactor for allothermic gasification of biomass in the presence of steam to produce a hydrogen-containing fuel gas at temperatures and during the processing time of the gasification products in the gasification zone of the reactor so as to suppress the resin condensation in the zones of the gasification module downstream of the gasification zone And / or in a downstream module, and c) a storage module storing the resulting fuel gas or hydrogen, the conversion unit comprising a biomass collection unit and a processing unit for converting the biomass into a preliminary gasification product, the gasification module is connected by The storage unit is connected to the gasification module by means of the fuel gas cleaning means, the outputs of the gasification module and the storage module are matched to each other with respect to the capacity of the plant and adjusted so that the flow of a portion of the fuel gas is used to generate steam, and The flow of the other part and / or the waste heat from the modular power plant is used to dry the collected biomass, the size of the conversion unit relative to the cultivation area is selected in accordance with a given capacity of the installation in each particular case, the conversion unit comprises a processing unit in the form of at least one collection machine Biomass and in the form of a shredder or tabletting means and comprises a storage means for the treated biomass in order to compensate for deviations in the amount of treated biomass due to growth conditions and the main elements of the conversion module, the gasification module and the storage module are prefabricated in the form of modular power plant elements which Can be transported in assembled or disassembled condition.

2. Power plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the gasification module is equipped with at least one gasification reactor that operates under pressure and when using water vapor as a gasifying and fluidizing agent.

3. The power plant of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gasification module is so adapted to allothermic gasification at the lowest possible temperature that the fuel gas contains at least about 50% hydrogen.

4. Power plant according to any of the preceding claims. 1 to 3, characterized in that hydrogen is separated from the fuel gas in a known manner and stored under pressure in pressure vessels.

5. Power plant according to any one of the preceding claims. 1 to 3, characterized in that hydrogen is separated from the fuel gas and stored in metal hydride storage media.

6. Power plant according to any one of the preceding claims. 1 to 5, characterized in that it is further provided with a steam generation module and it is heated by a flow of a portion of the fuel gas.

7. Power plant according to any of the preceding claims. 1 to 6, characterized in that the conversion unit is connected to a drying means for the gasification product preheated by the waste heat from the molar power plant.

8. A method for producing electric energy from raw materials adapted to gasification, in particular from biomass, by means of a modular power plant according to any of the preceding claims. 1-7 and in combination with this power station, wherein the raw fuel gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide is produced in the oxidation reactor module from the raw materials using an oxygen-containing gasifying substance, the raw fuel gas is supplied to the reforming module connected to the oxidation reactor module, And hydrogen from the raw fuel gas is intermediately stored in the reforming elements by its reaction with the storage material, a clean fuel gas that contains hydrogen is discharged and substantially no carbon is supplied from the reforming module is supplied to the fuel cell module connected to the module Reforming, and circulating it in the fuel cell module, controlling the production of the raw fuel gas, on the one hand, in accordance with the hydrogen reaction with the storage material, and on the other hand controlling the release of the clean fuel gas separately in accordance with the electricity withdrawn from the fuel module Elements.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the production of the raw fuel gas in the oxidation reactor module is carried out by allothermic means with the aid of water vapor and the undesired water is separated from the raw fuel gas by means of a condenser.

print version
Publication date 16.02.2007gg

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