Corrosion control for supercritical water gasification components

Abstract

Systems and articles of manufacture for minimizing corrosion in supercritical water gasification components are disclosed, as well as methods for their preparation and operation. The systems may include a nonconducting conduit that is configured to receive a fluid at a first end and transmit the fluid toward a second end thereof. The fluid may include a plurality of ions. The nonconducting conduit may include an inside surface and an outside surface. The systems may further include a plurality of electrodes distributed about at least a portion of the outside surface of the nonconducting conduit and a power source electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes. The power source may be configured to apply an alternating current across the plurality of electrodes, and the alternating current may be effective to exert an electrophoretic force on the plurality of ions in the fluid.

1 . A system for minimizing corrosion in supercritical water gasification components, the system comprising:
 a nonconducting conduit that is configured to receive a fluid comprising a plurality of ions at a first end and transmit the fluid toward a second end thereof, the nonconducting conduit comprising an inside surface and an outside surface;   a plurality of electrodes distributed about at least a portion of the outside surface of the nonconducting conduit; and   a power source electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes, wherein the power source is configured to apply an alternating current across the plurality of electrodes, wherein the alternating current is effective to exert an electrophoretic force on the plurality of ions in the fluid.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nonconducting conduit is further configured to receive the fluid and transmit the fluid at a temperature of at least about  600  K. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nonconducting conduit is further configured to receive the fluid and transmit the fluid at a pressure of at least about  18  MPa. 
     
     
         5 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heater thermally coupled to the nonconducting conduit, wherein the heater is configured to heat the fluid in the nonconducting conduit; and   a controller operatively coupled to the heater,   wherein the controller is configured to cause the heater to heat the fluid in the nonconducting conduit such that the fluid is heated above a critical temperature.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the fluid comprises water and wherein the critical temperature is at least about 623 K. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a pressurization apparatus in fluid communication with the nonconducting conduit, wherein the pressurization apparatus is configured to pressurize the fluid in the nonconducting conduit; and   a controller operatively coupled to the pressurization apparatus,   wherein the controller is configured to cause the pressurization apparatus to pressurize the fluid in the nonconducting conduit such that the fluid is pressurized above a critical pressure.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises water and wherein the critical pressure is at least about 22 MPa. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nonconducting conduit is comprised of ceramic matrix composites, stabilized alumina, stabilized zirconia, silicon carbide, a composite of silicon carbide fiber in a silicon carbide matrix, a composite of alumina fiber in an alumina matrix, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nonconducting conduit comprises one or more of a tensile strength of at least about 25 MPa, a Young's modulus of at least about 15 GPa, and a flexural strength of at least about 25 MPa. 
     
     
         16 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nonconducting conduit is a feeder conduit operatively coupled to a supercritical water gasification reactor. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the supercritical water gasification reactor comprises one or more of a reactor vessel, a pre-heater, a condenser, a pump, and a heat exchanger. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises a supercritical fluid or a near-supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the supercritical fluid comprises one or more of an ionic slurry, water, coal, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, ethylene, propylene, methanol, ethanol, and acetone. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a supercritical fluid or a near-supercritical fluid. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the supercritical fluid comprises one or more of an ionic slurry, water, coal, carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, ethylene, propylene, methanol, ethanol, and acetone. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is further configured to provide a voltage of about 1 V to about 100 kV across the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is further configured to provide an electric power of about 10 kilowatts to about 100 megawatts. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power source is further configured to apply the alternating current across the plurality of electrodes at a frequency of about 10 Hz to about 100 kHz. 
     
     
         31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the supercritical water gasification components are configured as one of a coal gasification system, a biomass gasification system, and a waste gasification system. 
     
     
         33 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A method of minimizing corrosion in supercritical water gasification components, the method comprising:
 providing a fluid comprising a plurality of ions into a nonconducting conduit configured to receive the fluid at a first end and transmit the fluid toward a second end thereof, wherein the nonconducting conduit comprises an inside surface and an outside surface; and   applying an alternating current through a plurality of electrodes disposed about at least a portion of the outside surface of the nonconducting conduit to generate and exert an electrophoretic force on the plurality of ions.   
     
     
         48 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising forming at least one corrosion protection area from the plurality of radial electrophoretic forces. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 heating the fluid with a heater operatively coupled to a controller that is configured to cause the heater to heat the fluid to a temperature above a critical point.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , wherein heating the fluid comprises heating water to a temperature above a critical point, wherein the temperature is about 623 K. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising:
 pressurizing the fluid with a pressurization apparatus operatively coupled to a controller that is configured to cause the pressurization apparatus to pressurize the fluid to a pressure above a critical point.   
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , wherein pressurizing the fluid comprises pressurizing water to a pressure above a critical point, wherein the pressure is about 22 MPa. 
     
     
         58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein applying the alternating current comprises applying a voltage of about 1 V to about 100 kV across the plurality of electrodes. 
     
     
         60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . (canceled) 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein applying the alternating current comprises applying an electric power of at least 9.5 kilowatts. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein applying the alternating current comprises applying the alternating current at a frequency of about 10 Hz to about 100 kHz. 
     
     
         64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising directing the fluid from the second end of the nonconducting conduit to one or more other supercritical water gasification components. 
     
     
         66 . A method of controlling ion concentration in a subcritical to supercritical process, the method comprising:
 providing a subcritical fluid comprising a plurality of ions into a nonconducting conduit configured to receive the fluid at a first end and transmit the fluid toward a second end thereof, wherein the nonconducting conduit comprises an inside surface and an outside surface;   causing the subcritical fluid to become supercritical; and   applying an alternating current through a plurality of electrodes disposed about at least a portion of the outside surface of the nonconducting conduit to generate and exert an electromotive force on the plurality of ions to at least intermittently reduce a local concentration of ions at the inside surface.   
     
     
         67 . (canceled) 
     
     
         68 . (canceled) 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein causing the subcritical fluid to become supercritical comprises:
 heating the subcritical fluid with a heater thermally coupled to the nonconducting conduit, wherein the heater is operatively coupled to a controller that is configured to cause the heater to heat the subcritical fluid to a temperature above a critical point.   
     
     
         70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein causing the subcritical fluid to become supercritical comprises:
 pressurizing the subcritical fluid with a pressurization apparatus operatively coupled to a controller that is configured to cause the pressurization apparatus to pressurize the subcritical fluid to a pressure above a critical point.   
     
     
         72 - 106 . (canceled)