Method and apparatus for producing methanol making use of biomass material

• Main Authors: ARUGA, TAKESHI, KANEKO, SHOZO, KABATA, TATSUO, KOBAYASHI, YOSHINORI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 08.12.2010
• Subjects: ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CARBURETTING AIR OR OTHER GASES; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; FUELS; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF PRODUCER GAS, WATER-GAS, SYNTHESIS GAS FROMSOLID CARBONACEOUS MATERIAL, OR MIXTURES CONTAINING THESE GASES; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The present invention provides a method for producing methanol making use of biomass material, which method is capable of making effective use of produced carbon monoxide without deteriorating efficiency of methanol production. The invention also provides an apparatus for producing methanol. In the method for producing methanol making use of biomass material including gasifying biomass to produce a gas and producing methanol from the produced gas, water is electrolyzed by means of a water electrolysis unit operated by electric power generated from a sunlight power-generation unit or a wind power-generation unit, and hydrogen gas generated through electrolysis of the water is supplied to the raw material gas such that the amount of hydrogen is adjusted to at least twice the amount of carbon monoxide contained in the produced gas, to thereby produce methanol in a methanol synthesis column.