PRODUCTION AND USE OF LIQUID FUEL AS A HYDROGEN AND/OR SYNGAS CARRIER

• Main Authors: SCHUETZLE, Dennis, SCHUETZLE, Robert, GALLOWAY, Anja, Rumplecker, WRIGHT, Harold, BUCHER, James
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 12.06.2024
• Subjects: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; FUELS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; LUBRICANTS; METALLURGY; MINERAL WAXES; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PEAT; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PETROLEUM, GAS OR COKE INDUSTRIES; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVEHYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION; RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, ORGASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; SEPARATION; TECHNICAL GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The present invention is generally directed to the efficient production of low-carbon methanol, ethanol or mixtures of methanol and ethanol from captured CO2 and renewable H2 at a generation site. The H2 is generated from water using an electrolyzer powered by renewable electricity, or from any other means of low-carbon H2 production. An improved catalyst and process is described that efficiently converts H2 and CO2 mixture to syngas in a one-step process, and alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, are produced from the syngas in a second step. The liquid methanol and ethanol, which are excellent H2 carriers, are transported to a production site, where another improved catalyst and process efficiently converts them to syngas. The syngas can then be used at the production site for the synthesis of low carbon fuels and chemicals, or to produce purified low carbon H2. The low carbon H2 can be used at the production site for the synthesis of low-carbon chemical products or compressed for transportation use.