Sulphur-assisted carbon capture and storage (CCS) processes and systems

Abstract

A system for carbon capture includes an oxy-fuel combustor for combusting a hydrocarbon with pure oxygen to produce heat energy and carbon dioxide, a COS converter for converting the carbon dioxide to COS, a transport means for transporting the COS, a sulphur recovery unit for recovering sulphur from the COS and an adjunct sulphur-burning power plant for combusting the sulphur to generate energy for powering one or more carbon capture and storage processes.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system for carbon capture and storage, the system comprising:
 an oxy-fuel combustor for combusting a hydrocarbon with pure oxygen to produce heat energy and carbon dioxide;   a COS converter for converting the carbon dioxide to COS;   a transport means for transporting the COS;   a sulphur recovery unit for recovering sulphur from the COS;   a sulphur-burning power plant for combusting the sulphur to generate energy for powering one or more carbon capture and storage processes.   
     
     
         2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the sulphur recovery unit also recovers carbon dioxide from the COS for sequestering the carbon dioxide in a sequestration site. 
     
     
         3 . The system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant supplies power to a carbon dioxide compressor for pressurizing carbon dioxide for injection into the sequestration site. 
     
     
         4 . The system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant supplies power to an air separation unit that supplies the pure oxygen to the oxy-fuel combustor. 
     
     
         5 . A system for carbon capture and storage, the system comprising:
 a combustor for combusting a hydrocarbon with oxygen to produce heat energy and carbon dioxide;   a COS converter for converting the carbon dioxide to COS;   a sulphur recovery unit for recovering sulphur from the COS;   a sulphur-burning power plant for combusting the sulphur to generate energy for powering one or more carbon capture and storage processes.   
     
     
         6 . The system as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the sulphur recovery unit also recovers carbon dioxide from the COS for sequestering the carbon dioxide in a sequestration site. 
     
     
         7 . The system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant supplies power to a carbon dioxide compressor for pressurizing carbon dioxide for injection into the sequestration site. 
     
     
         8 . The system as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant supplies power to an air separation unit that supplies the pure oxygen to the combustor. 
     
     
         9 . The system as claimed in  claim 5  wherein the sulphur recovery unit is connected via pipeline to the COS converter. 
     
     
         10 . A system for carbon capture and storage, the system comprising:
 a combustor for combusting a hydrocarbon to produce heat energy and carbon dioxide;   a COS converter for converting the carbon dioxide to COS by reacting the carbon dioxide with CS 2  supplied from a CS 2  generator;   a sulphur recovery unit for recovering sulphur from the COS using a SO 2  reduction unit disposed at the CO 2  sequestration site wherein the sulphur recovery unit also recovers carbon dioxide from the COS for sequestering the carbon dioxide in the CO 2  sequestration site;   a sulphur-burning power plant for combusting the sulphur at the CO 2  sequestration site to generate energy for powering one or more carbon capture and storage processes.   
     
     
         11 . The system as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant combusts a portion of the sulphur recovered from the COS while supplying a remainder of the sulphur to the CS 2  generator. 
     
     
         12 . The system as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant combusts sulphur to generate energy, wherein said energy is supplied to power a carbon dioxide compressor for pressurizing carbon dioxide for injection into the sequestration site. 
     
     
         13 . The system as claimed in  claim 11  wherein the sulphur-burning power plant combusts sulphur to generate energy, wherein said energy is supplied to power an air separation unit that supplies the pure oxygen to the oxy-fuel combustor.