Hydromethanation
Hydromethanation, [hahy-droh- meth-uh-ney-shuhn] is the process by which
Chemistry
The chemistry of catalytic hydromethanation involves reacting steam and carbon to produce methane and carbon dioxide, according to the following reaction:
2C + 2H2O -> CH4 + CO2
The process utilizes a specially designed reactor and depends upon a proprietary metal catalyst to promote chemical conversion at the low temperatures where the
When a feedstock treated with the catalyst is introduced into this reactor and mixed with steam, three reactions occur that efficiently convert the feedstock into methane.
Hydromethanation reactions
- Steam carbon
C + H2O -> CO + H2
- Water-gas shift
CO + H2O -> H2 + CO2
- Hydro-gasification
2H2 + C -> CH4
The combination of carbon (C) from the carbon feedstock, water (H2O) from steam, and the catalyst, produces pure methane and a pure stream of carbon dioxide (CO2) which is 100% captured in the system and available for sequestration. The overall reaction is thermally neutral, requiring no addition or removal of heat, making it highly efficient.
The development of hydromethanation is an example of process intensification, where several operations are combined into a single step to improve overall efficiency, reduce maintenance and equipment requirements, and lower capital costs.
Byproducts
In addition to methane, hydromethanation produces a high-purity stream of carbon dioxide (CO2), an odorless, colorless greenhouse gas. This CO2 stream is fully captured in the process and can be prevented from entering the atmosphere using a process called sequestration. The CO2 can be injected into underground oil reserves, through a process called enhanced oil recovery (“EOR”), or geologically sequestered.
Because hydromethanation is a catalytic process that does not rely on the combustion of carbonaceous solids to capture their energy value, it does not produce the
Commercialization
References
- ^ Fairley, Peter (30 January 2007). "Cheaper Natural Gas from Coal". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ a b Kolodny, Lora (20 February 2012). "Bluer Skies For Shanghai?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ^ Wesoff, Eric (2 January 2013). "GreatPoint Energy and Fisker Automotive win the largest VC rounds in 2012". Green Tech Media. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
See also
- Fossil fuel reforming
- Producer gas
- Water gas
- GreatPoint Energy