Pressure Swing Reforming: A novel process to improve cost an efficiency of CO2 capture in power generation

• Published in: Energy procedia Vol. 1; no. 1; pp. 683 - 688
• Main Authors: Hershkowitz, Frank, Deckman, Harry W., Frederick, Jeffrey W., Fulton, John W., Socha, Richard F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2009
• Subjects: CO2 Capture; Electric Power; Steam Reforming; Steam Reforming; CO2 Capture; Electric Power
• ISSN: 1876-6102; 1876-6102
• DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.090

We present a novel method of hydrogen production - applicable to gaseous and distillate fuels - that integrates with a gas turbine and has the potential to reduce the cost and energy required for CO2 capture. The Pressure Swing Reformer (PSR) process yields syngas at high efficiency and with the compactness of an autothermal reformer. PSR is a cyclic, reverse-flow reactor that alternates combustion steps to heat the catalyst bed with reforming steps that cool the bed. During these steps the center of the catalyst bed remains at temperatures approaching 1200 ∘C, enabling rapid and high conversion. Heat exchange within the packed-bed results in relatively cool products, resulting in high efficiency. The debits of conventional hydrogen manufacture, such as air separation or high-temperature furnaces, are completely eliminated. As applied to CO2 capture, PSR’s syngas product is shifted and separated to yield hydrogen and a sequesterable CO2 stream. The hydrogen is used to fuel a gas turbine for power generation, and is also used to fuel the PSR. The power turbine is further integrated by borrowing compressed air from the turbine to use as a combustion source within the PSR. Recovering CO2 from high pressure syngas can reduce separation cost, just as in IGCC. But unlike IGCC, PSR is a low-cost reactor system that uses air at the conditions provided by the GT compressor and returns air at conditions appropriate for the expander. Integrated as such, the PSR enables lower cost production of power with CO2 capture.