Method and Apparatus for Reducing CO2 in a Stream by Conversion to a Syngas for Production of Energy

Abstract

A system and method for producing Syngas from the CO 2 in a gaseous stream, such as an exhaust stream, from a power plant or industrial plant, like a cement kiln, is disclosed. A preferred embodiment includes providing the gaseous stream to pyrolysis reactor along with a carbon source such as coke. The CO 2 and carbon are heated to about 1330° C. and at about one atmosphere with reactants such as steam such that a reaction takes place that produces Syngas, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and hydrogen (H 2 ). The Syngas is then cleaned and provided to a Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reactor to produce Ethanol or Bio-catalytic synthesis reactor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for producing syngas that reduces an amount of carbon dioxide in a gaseous stream, the apparatus comprising:
 a reaction chamber, said reaction chamber selected to be one of a pyrolysis reactor, a conventional gasifier or a plasma arc gasifier and wherein said reaction chamber includes a input line for receiving a gaseous stream provided by a source separate from said reaction chamber, and said reaction chamber capable of operating at a preferred temperature of about 1330° C. and up to about 2000° C. and a pressure of about one bar or greater and capable of supporting a reaction in said reaction chamber to form syngas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 );   a source of carbonaceous material provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a source of H 2 O provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant capable of providing said gaseous stream from said separate source as a feed to said reaction chamber at said input line, said gaseous stream being a gaseous exhaust containing between about 30% to about 45% carbon dioxide (CO 2 );   said reaction chamber further capable of supporting a reaction that consists essentially of said carbonaceous material, said H 2 O and said carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in said gaseous exhaust stream to form said syngas, and such that any remaining CO 2  in said formed syngas is at least 53% less than the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) contained in said gaseous exhaust stream provided to said reaction chamber; and   means capable of discharging said formed syngas, and said discharged formed syngas containing about 53% less carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) than the total amount of carbon dioxide provided to said reaction chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said source of H 2 O provided as a reactant into said reaction chamber is steam. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant is a power plant. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the reaction of said materials that react in said reaction chamber comprises a Boudouard reaction. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a bio-catalytic reactor for receiving said discharged formed syngas to produce Ethanol. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a water-gas shift reactor for receiving said formed syngas and adjusting the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2 ) molar ratio to between 0.2 to 5.0 molecules of carbon monoxide (CO) and 5.0 to 0.2 molecules of (H 2 ). 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising means for returning said CO 2  in said formed syngas to said reaction chamber as a feedback source of CO 2 ). 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an emission control system for receiving and cleaning said discharged formed syngas. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising means for returning said CO 2  removed from said formed syngas by said emission control system to said reaction chamber as another feedback source of CO 2 ). 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for producing syngas that reduces an amount of carbon dioxide in a gaseous stream, the apparatus comprising:
 a reaction chamber wherein said reaction chamber includes a input line for receiving a gaseous stream provided by a source separate from said reaction chamber, and said reaction chamber capable of operating at a preferred temperature between about 400° C. and 5000° C. and a pressure of about one bar or greater and capable of supporting a reaction in said reaction chamber to form syngas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 );   a source of carbonaceous material provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a source of H 2 O provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant capable of providing a gaseous exhaust stream containing about 30% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as a feed to said reaction chamber, said gaseous exhaust stream being the exhaust selected from one of said power plant or industrial plant;   said reaction chamber further capable of supporting a reaction that consist essentially of said carbonaceous material, said H 2 O and said CO 2  from said gaseous stream to reduce the amount of said CO 2  to less than that provided to said reaction chamber, and to form said syngas wherein none of the carbonaceous material remains as un-reacted carbonaceous material in said syngas;   means capable of discharging said formed syngas;   means for returning any CO 2  present in said formed syngas to said reaction chamber; and   a water-gas shift reactor to receive said formed syngas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2 ) and to adjust the carbon monoxide and hydrogen molar ratio to between 0.2 to 5.0 molecules of CO and 5.0 to 0.2 molecules of H 2 .   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant is connected to said reaction chamber. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for producing syngas that reduces an amount of carbon dioxide in a gaseous stream, the apparatus comprising:
 a reaction chamber capable of operating at a temperature of between 400 degrees C. and 5000 degrees C., and a pressure of about one bar or greater, and wherein said reaction chamber includes a input line for receiving a gaseous stream provided by a source separate from said reaction chamber, and capable of supporting a reaction in said reaction chamber to form a syngas output comprising carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H 2 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 );   a source of carbonaceous material provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a source of H 2 O provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant capable of providing a gaseous exhaust stream containing 30% of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) as a feed to said reaction chamber;   said reaction chamber further capable of supporting a reaction consisting of said carbonaceous material, said H 2 O, and said carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in said gaseous exhaust stream to form said syngas output, wherein the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in said formed syngas output is about 53% less than the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) provided to said reaction chamber; and   means capable of discharging said formed syngas output containing about 53% less carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) than the total amount of carbon dioxide provided to said reaction chamber.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising means for returning said CO 2  present in said formed syngas to said reaction chamber as a source of carbon dioxide in addition to the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in said gaseous stream feed provided by said selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant is connected to said reaction chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said reaction chamber is selected to be one of a pyrolysis reactor, a conventional gasifier or a plasma arc gasifier. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising an emission control system for receiving and cleaning said discharged formed syngas. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising means for returning any said CO 2  removed from said formed syngas by said emission control system to said reaction chamber as a source of carbon dioxide in addition to the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in said gaseous stream feed provided by said selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said power plant or industrial plant is capable of providing an exhaust stream containing between about 30% to 45% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein said reaction chamber is capable of operating at a preferred temperature of about 1330 degrees C. and up to about 2000 degrees C. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus for producing syngas that reduces an amount of carbon dioxide in a gaseous stream, the apparatus comprising:
 a reaction chamber, said reaction chamber selected to be one of a pyrolysis reactor, a conventional gasifier or a plasma arc gasifier, and wherein said reaction chamber includes a input line for receiving a gaseous stream provided by a source separate from said reaction chamber, and said reaction chamber capable of operating at a preferred temperature of about 1330° C. and up to about 2000° C. and a pressure of about one bar or greater and capable of supporting a reaction in said reaction chamber to form syngas comprising carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H 2 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 );   a source of carbonaceous material provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a source of H 2 O provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   a gaseous exhaust stream containing about 30% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) provided as a feed to said reaction chamber;   said reaction chamber further capable of supporting a reaction consisting essentially of said carbonaceous material, said H 2 O and said carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in said gaseous exhaust stream to form said syngas, and such that any remaining CO 2  in said formed syngas is at least 53% less than the total amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) that was provided in said gaseous exhaust stream to said reaction chamber; and   means capable of discharging said formed syngas containing about 53% less carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) than the total amount of carbon dioxide provided to said reaction chamber.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein said gaseous exhaust stream contains between 30% to 45% carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein a selected one of a power plant or an industrial plant is connected to said reaction chamber. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said feed of carbonaceous material is provided at a first rate, said feed of H 2 O is provided at a second rate, and said CO 2  provided in said gaseous stream is capable of being provided at a third rate that is greater than the combined total of said first rate and said second rate. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first rate and said second rate are about the same. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said feed of carbonaceous material is provided at a first rate, said feed of H 2 O is provided at a second rate, and said CO 2  provided in said gaseous stream is capable of being provided at a third rate that is greater than the combined total of said first rate and said second rate. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said first rate and said second rate are about the same. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said feed of carbonaceous material is provided at a first rate, said feed of H 2 O is capable of being provided at a second rate, and said CO 2  provided in said gaseous stream is provided at a third rate that is greater than the combined total of said first rate and said second rate.