Process for producing an H2-CO gas mixture

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The invention is based on a process of producing an H₂—CO gas mixture from an inlet gas which contains CH₄—CO₂gas mixture.

[0005] 2. Discussion of Background

[0006] The present invention relates generally to the use of a discharge reactor, art as disclosed by WO 97/29833. In the latter, in order to efficiently obtain fuels and/or propellants from an undesired greenhouse gas, preferably from nitrogen or laughing gas, and a hydrogen-containing gas or vapor, these gases are subjected in a first reactor to a silent electrical discharge. This produces excited or ionized atoms and/or molecules which are converted in a catalytic reactor with a copper-containing first catalyst into H₂and, where appropriate, CO. Through a relief valve, a liquid of a fuel and/or propellant precipitates in a liquid container. Gases escaping from the liquid container are fed through a thermal reactor with a second catalyst and relieved through a relief valve. In a downstream liquid container, CH₃OH, for example, precipitates as the desired liquid propellant. Teaching as to what proportion of CO₂in the inlet gas is required for the reactor in order to obtain a predeterminable synthesis gas volume ratio R=H₂/CO at the output is not disclosed by this publication.

[0007] Accordingly, one object of the invention, is to provide a novel process for producing an H₂—CO gas mixture of the type mentioned at the start, such that for predeterminable values of a synthesis gas volume ratio R=H₂/CO, the proportion of CO₂in the inlet gas needed for this can be specified.

[0008] One advantage of the invention consists in that synthesis gas can be obtained more effectively with desired compositions. When the inlet gases have the desired composition, less carbon is formed, which can precipitate as an undesirable conductive deposit in the reaction space of the discharge reactor or can destroy a catalyst possibly arranged therein. This advantage is particularly significant for a CO₂proportion of >50% in the gas mixture. It has also been found advantageous to add water vapor to the inlet gas since this also contributes to reducing the formation of carbon.

[0009] A further advantage resides in the fact that the reaction temperature may be ≦100° C. The synthesis is substantially independent of the pressure of the inlet gases, their temperature and throughput.

[0010] By virtue of the production process, which can also be operated without a catalyst, electrical energy can be converted into chemical energy, stored and readily transported. The greenhouse gases used as input are available at low cost. The undesired CO₂content in the air can be reduced.

[0011] A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0012] FIG. 1 shows a discharge reactor with gas inlets and outlets, and

[0013] FIG. 2 shows a function curve which represents the synthesis gas volume ratio R=H₂/CO as a function of the proportion of CO₂in the inlet gas.

[0014] Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views, in a reaction space (6) of a catalytic reactor or discharge reactor or reactor (1) with a quartz dielectric tube (2), an inner electrode (3) which is arranged therein and is made of a corrosion-resistant metal or of a metal alloy or of an electrically conductive layer, a grounded metal container or steel tube (4) which at the same time serves as the outer electrode, and a catalyst (5) arranged in the reaction space (6) between the dielectric tube (2) and the steel tube (4), inlet gases (7) are fed in from the left. The greenhouse gases methane, CH₄, and carbon dioxide, CO₂, are used as the inlet gases (7) and are converted in the reactor (1) into reaction gases or outlet gases or synthesis gases (8) made up of an H₂—CO gas mixture, and are delivered in the direction of the arrow to the right. The inlet gases (7) may additionally contain water vapor. The steel tube (4) has an internal diameter of 54 mm, and the quartz tube (2) has an external diameter of 52 mm, for a wall thickness of 2.5 mm. The distance between the outer cylindrical surface of the quartz tube (2) and the inner cylindrical surface of the steel tube of the reactor (1) should be in the range from 0.5 mm to 3 mm, and should preferably be 1 mm. The length of the reaction space (6) is 310 mm, and its volume about 50 ml.

[0015] The inner electrode (3) is electrically connected at the end to an AC voltage source (9) with an AC voltage in the range of 5 kV-50 kV, preferably 20 kV, and a frequency in the range of 50 Hz-1 MHz, preferably 30 kHz. The power of the AC voltage source (9) is in the range of 100 W-1 kW.

[0016] The catalyst (5) has a chemically inert gas and vapor permeable support material or catalyst support made of glass mat or glass fiber mat, on which catalyst material or catalyst powder or catalyst grains with a diameter of less than 1 mm are uniformly distributed (not shown). The discharge reactor (1) may also be operated without a catalyst (5).

[0017] On the outside, at least around one region of the steel tube (4), a thermostat or a heating element or a heating device (10) is provided, with which the reaction space (6) can be kept at a predeterminable reaction temperature, ≦100° C.

[0018] The greenhouse gases CH₄and CO₂, which can contribute through the undesired greenhouse effect to the heating of the Earth's atmosphere, are fed from high pressure bottles (not shown) via gas flow regulators (11) and (13), respectively, and valves (12) and (14), respectively, as inlet gases (7) to the discharge reactor (1). CO₂is primarily obtained from the waste gas of power stations, and CH₄from natural gas fields. The throughput of the gas flow regulators (11) and (13) is in the range of 0.1 l/min-4 l/m, referring to standard temperature and pressure conditions.

[0019] At its output, the reactor (1) is connected through a relief valve (15) for a pressure of 10⁶Pa in the reactor space (6) to a condensate precipitator or liquid container (16) which may be cooled with liquid nitrogen. The reaction temperature in the reaction space (6) can be kept constant at a predeterminable temperature, for example up to 350° C., by means of the heating device (10).

[0020] Through the expansion of the gases after the relief valve (15), a reaction liquid (17) made up of reaction products, for example methanol and other hydrocarbon compounds, precipitates in the liquid container (16), and these can be used as fuels. The H₂—CO gas mixture delivered from the liquid container (16) is fed to a gas flow meter (18) with which the amount of synthesis gas (8) produced can be measured.

[0021] Other gases and/or vapors, for example, H₂O, SO₂, CO, No_x, H₂S and O₂may be mixed with the inlet gas (7) as impurity in a volume proportion of up to 10%. With the aforementioned discharge reactor (1), it is possible to achieve H₂concentrations of up to 46% and CO concentrations of up to 14% with a CH₄:CO₂ratio=8:2, 64% of the CH₄and 54% of the CO₂having been converted. The C selectivity for CO is 30%, that is to say 30% of carbon C from the inlet gas (7) enters the reaction product in the synthesis gas (8). The H selectivity of H₂is 50%. For synthesis gas volume ratios R=H₂/CO of up to 4:1, the associated CH₄/CO₂quantity ratios can be specified. Synthesis gas volume ratios R≦1 are of particular economic importance for catalytic processes and, for example, acetic acid production.

[0022] The chemical conversion of the inlet gases (7) in the discharge reactor (1) takes place with input of energy according to the following equation: CO₂+CH₄→2·CO+2·H₂.

[0023] The enthalpy difference ΔH per mole is in this case 223.5 kJ. This process can therefore be used for storing energy and transforming energy, electrical energy being converted into chemical energy.

[0024] In a function curve (f), FIG. 2 shows the relationship of the CO₂proportion in the inlet gas (7) in vol.-% according to:V=(CO₂/(CO₂+CH₄))·100, which is plotted on the ordinate, and the synthesis gas volume ratio R=H₂/CO, which is plotted on the abscissa. On the right-hand side, the proportion of CH₄in the inlet gas (7) is plotted in vol.-%. The proportion of CH₄in the inlet gas (7) is obtained by subtracting the CO₂proportion from 100. If, for example, a value of 2 is desired for the synthesis gas volume ratio R, as is needed for methanol production, then a CO₂proportion in the inlet gas (7) of about 20 vol.-% is derived from the function curve (f). For methane production, R=3 is needed, etc. Depending on the desired R value, the required CO₂proportion in the inlet gas (7) can be read from the function curve (f). What is important is that the CH₄—CO₂gas mixture in the inlet gas (7) for a predetermined synthesis gas volume ratio R does not deviate by more than ±20%, preferably by no more than ±5% from the associated value or CO₂proportion from the function curve (f).

[0025] From the function curve f(V, R), for a predeterminable value of R, the desired proportion V of CO₂in the inlet gas (7) is also obtained analytically according to the following equation:

[0026] V=−4.76·R³+37.57·R²−99.13·R+105.39.

[0027] The reaction in the discharge reactor (1) can be carried out at room temperature, which saves energy.

[0028] The addition of water vapor to the inlet gas (7) has a positive effect on the conversion process.

[0029] Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.