Electric power co-generation for chemical and physical processes with steam utilization

Abstract

An exemplary system may be configured to provide steam. Exemplary systems may comprise a water source in fluid communication with a pump. The pump may be in fluid communication with a first heat exchanger, which may be in fluid communication with a power generator, which may be a turbine. The power generator may be in fluid communication with a second heat exchanger. An outlet of the second heat exchanger may be in fluid communication with a reactor system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system configured to provide steam, the system comprising:
 a water source in fluid communication with a pump;   a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with the pump;   a power generator in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger, the power generator configured to generate electric power using fluid from the first heat exchanger;   a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the power generator; and   a reactor system in fluid communication with an outlet of the second heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , the reactor system being selected from: a steam methane reforming (SMR) system, an auto-thermal reforming (ATR) system, a water-gas shift (WGS) system, an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) system, a steam cracking system, a petroleum refining system, an enhanced oil recovery system, a chemical looping hydrogen generation in a 3-reactor system (CLHG-3R), and a chemical looping combustion combined with steam methane reforming (CLC-SMR) system. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , the reactor system being the steam methane reforming (SMR) system, and further comprising an inlet to a steam reforming reactor configured to receive natural gas and steam from the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , the reactor system being the chemical looping hydrogen generation in the 3-reactor system (CLHG-3R), and further comprising a first inlet to an oxidizer reactor configured to receive steam from the second heat exchanger and a second inlet to the oxidizer reactor configured to receive material from a reducer reactor. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second heat exchanger is a condenser or a heater. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a combustion stream from the reactor system in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , further comprising a combustion stream from the reactor system in fluid communication with the second heat exchanger. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the power generator is a turbine. 
     
     
         9 . A method of operating a system, the method comprising:
 increasing a pressure of water from a water source with a pump;   providing the pressurized water from the pump to a first heat exchanger;   in the first heat exchanger, heating the pressurized water to generate pressurized steam;   providing the pressurized steam to a power generator;   with the power generator, producing electricity using the pressurized steam;   providing an outlet stream of the power generator to a second heat exchanger,   in the second heat exchanger, adjusting a temperature of the outlet stream of the power generator; and   providing an outlet stream of the second heat exchanger to a reactor system.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the power generator is a turbine and the pressurized steam turns one or more blades of the turbine. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the reactor system is selected from: a steam methane reforming (SMR) system, an auto-thermal reforming (ATR) system, a water-gas shift (WGS) system, an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) system, a steam cracking system, a petroleum refining reactor system, an enhanced oil recovery system, a chemical looping hydrogen generation in a 3-reactor system (CLHG-3R), and a chemical looping combustion combined with steam methane reforming (CLC-SMR) system. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the pressurized water from the pump has a pressure between 1 MPa to 20 MPa. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the pressurized steam from an outlet of the first heat exchanger has a temperature between 100° C. to 1000° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the outlet stream of the power generator has a pressure between 0.005 MPa to 6 MPa. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the outlet stream of the power generator has a temperature between 100° C. to 700° C. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 9 , the second heat exchanger comprising a second hot stream inlet, second hot stream outlet, a second cold stream inlet, and a second cold stream outlet, and the method further comprising:
 receiving a combustion stream from the reactor system at the second hot stream inlet; and   receiving the outlet stream from the power generator at second cold stream inlet.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 9 , the first heat exchanger comprising a first hot stream inlet, a first hot stream outlet, a first cold stream inlet, and a first cold stream outlet, and the method further comprising:
 receiving a combustion stream from the reactor system in the first hot stream inlet; and   receiving the water from the pump at the first cold stream inlet.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 combusting natural gas or recycled tail gas in the reactor system, thereby producing the combustion stream.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 combining the outlet of the second heat exchanger with a natural gas stream to generate a feedstock; and   providing the feedstock to a reforming reactor.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 providing the outlet of the second heat exchanger to an oxidizer reactor.