彦根藩二代当主である井伊直孝公をお寺の門前で手招き雷雨から救ったと
伝えられる"招き猫"と、井伊軍団のシンボルとも言える赤備え。（戦国時
代の軍団編成の一種で、あらゆる武具を朱塗りにした部隊編のこと）の兜
（かぶと）を合体させて生まれたキャラクタ。
【再エネ革命渦論 177: アフターコロナ時代 178】
● 技術的特異点でエンドレス・サーフィング－
特異点真っ直中 ㊿＋⑧ 
三菱重工，光触媒活用の米水素技術ベンチャーに出資
10月10日、三菱重工業は，米国統括拠点である米国三菱重工業（MHIA）を
通じ，光触媒技術を活用した水素製造・CO2利用技術を開発する米国のスタ
ートアップ企業である米シジジー・プラズモニクスに出資したと発表。シ
ジジー・プラズモニクスは，米ライス大学で開発された，光触媒を利用し
て水素製造などのさまざまな化学反応を電化する世界最先端の革新的技術
を商用化するべく，2018年に設立された。化学工業プロセスを電化し，よ
りクリーンで安全な世界を実現するため，従来の燃焼熱に代わり光を利用
した反応器を開発している。この反応器を再生可能エネルギーによって運
転することで，アンモニアからのCO2フリー水素の製造や，CO2排出量の少
ない水素をメタンから製造することなどを可能とし，化学工業プロセスの
コストとCO2排出量の両方を削減できる可能性を有している。また，回収し
たCO2とメタンから合成ガスを製造し，持続可能燃料やメタノールに変換す
ることもできる。同社グループは，今回の出資を通じ，それら各エコシス
テムの多様化につながる将来の革新的代替技術の1つとしてシジジー・プラ
ズモニクスの取り組みを支援し，同社グループが戦略的に取り組むエナジ
ートランジション事業の強化につなげていくとしている。
Methane Reformer for the Production of Hydrogen and a Hydrocarbon Fuel
Jul 20, 2021 - Syzygy Plasmonics Inc.
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for reforming methane
into hydrogen and a hydrocarbon fuel. In example embodiments, the methane refo-
rmer integrates a photocatalytic steam methane reforming (P-SMR) system with a
subsequent photocatalytic dry methane reforming (P-DMR) system. Latest Syzygy
Plasmonics Inc. Patents:
•Photocatalytic Reactor System
•PHOTOCATALYTIC REACTOR CELL
•PHOTOCATALYTIC REACTOR HA VING MULTIPLE PHOTOCATALYTIC
REACTOR CELLS
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Description · Claims · Patent History · Patent History Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority to and hereby incorporates by reference the
entirety of U.S. Provisional Pat.
Application No. 63/054,163, filed Jul. 20, 2020.
BACKGROUND
OF DISCLOSUREField of Disclosure The present disclosure is directed to systems
and methods for reforming methane into hydrogen and a hydrocarbon fuel. In exam-
ple embodiments, the methane reformer integrates a photocatalytic steam methane
reforming (P-SMR) system with a subsequent photocatalytic dry methane reforming
(P-DMR) system. Technical Background Conventional Steam Methane Reforming
(SMR) systems, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 1, can be used to produce syngas
(hydrogen and carbon monoxide) from, for example, methane (natural gas), accord
to the following equilibrium: The conventional SMR has several disadvantages.
For example, SMR is sensitive to sulfur that may be present in the pipeline quality
gas and requires desulfurization (i.e., a combination of hydrodesulfurization (HDS)
catalyst and ZnO adsorbent bed). In addition, conventional SMR is a heat intensive
endothermic reactor, and hydrogen production is limited due to conversion limitation
associated with near cracking temperatures. This limitation is overcome via a high
and low temperature water gas shift reactor (WGS), installed in series. Further, high
temperature operation of SMR produces significant quantities of green-house carbon
monoxide (CO), which necessitates the installation of WGS reactors. In addition, the
conventional SMR generally has two carbon dioxide (CO2) exhaust streams, which
require removal of CO2. The first CO2 exhaust stream results from natural gas and
air being used as fuel to provide energy to the SMR reactor. This creates a “stack gas”
stream that has dilute CO2 and other gases, such as nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulfur
oxides (SOX). The process to capture or utilize CO2 from the stack gas stream is
complex and expensive. The second CO2 exhaust stream is produced as a part of the
process gas, and contains concentrated CO2 that is easier to capture or utilize.
The amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere from both of these streams makes
conventional SMR a significant emitter of greenhouse gases. In plants that contain
equipment to capture CO2 from these streams, the capital expenditure for such equi-
pnt becomes an appreciable portion of the overall plant cost. One of the traditional
metho employed for CO2 removal is a combination absorber-regenerator setup that
employs hot potash or amine based liquid absorbents, such as monoethanolamine
(MEA) or activated methyl diethanol amine (aMDEA). Not only does this system
require a high pressure (close to 400 psi(g), for liquid entering the absorbers) and
high temperature (close to 200° C. at regenerator reboiler), but amine-based liquids
used in the system can be corrosive in nature. These limitations require high grade
costly materials; i.e., the whole tower has to be made from stainless steel or require
the injections of a passivation agent, such as vanadium pentaoxide (V2O5), and con-
tinuous iron monitoring. Foaming is another common issue. Excessive foaming can
lead to carry over to the downstream system and have a negative effect. Finally, sol-
ution chemistry needs to be analyzed at regular frequency to maintain the necessary
rate of absorption and address any system losses. The conventional SMR design also
necessitates a fully functional burner management system (BMS) to ensure the safe
light-up and light-off of gas/liquid fuel operated burners. A BMS system has signifi-
cant steps after which the permissive is issued to light up burners. This sequence co-
nventionally includes purging of the furnace to get rid of the flammables from the fir-
ing (if any) by running blowers or ID fans near their top speeds. Once the purge seque-
nce is completed, a tightness test ensures leak proofing of the fuel circuit, after whic
h the pilot lights-up and then, based on the predetermined or operationally required
sequence, the main burners light-up and the system is pressurized. As evident, it is a
complicated system with excessive boot strapping. Further, any leakage in the fuel
system renders the entire sequence useless. Additionally, the furnace ramp-up or ramp
-down requires a lot of time and labor. A commercial reformer with close to hundred
burners requires manual operation every time pressure is stepped up or lowered. A
combination of block and regulating valves (i.e., control valves) ensures precise con-
trol and, if needed, fail-safe shutdown, but requires constant vigilance on the part of -
board and field operators. Therefore, there remains a need for effective systems for
methane reforming that do not have the drawbacks of the currently used conventional
SMR systems. SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE One aspect of the disclosure provides
a system for recovering syngas (i.e., hydrogen and carbon monoxide) from a methane
feedstock. Such system includes: •a first stage comprising a photocatalytic steam me-
thane reformer, the first stage configured to produce at least a carbon dioxide stream-
and a hydrogen stream from the methane feedstock; and •a second stage, adjacent to
and downstream from the first stage, and comprising a photocatalytic dry methane
reformer configured to produce the syngas from a second methane feedstock and the
carbon dioxide stream produced in the first stage. The system of the disclosure may
be used in methods of preparing zero-emission hydrogen in addition to another low-
or zero-emission product, such as methanol or dimethyl ether (DME). Thus, another a
spect of the disclosure provides methods for transforming a methane feedstock into
syngas. Such methods include: •providing the methane feedstock to a first stage com-
prising a photocatalytic steam methane reformer as described herein to obtain at least
a carbon dioxide stream and a hydrogen stream; and •providing the carbon dioxide
stream to a second stage comprising a photocatalytic dry methane reformer as descr-
ibed herein to produce the syngas. Another aspect of the disclosure provides a meth-
od for preparing a hydrocarbon fuel, such as methanol or dimethyl ether, from a met-
hane feedstock. Such method includes: •providing the methane feedstock to a first
stage comprising a photocatalytic steam methane reformer as described herein to
obtain at least a carbon dioxide stream and a hydrogen stream; •providing the carbon-
dioxide stream to a second stage comprising a photocatalytic dry methane reformer
as described herein to produce the syngas; and •providing the syngas to a third stage
comprising a reactor to obtain methanol or dimethyl ether. Other objects, features
and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following
detailed description. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description
and the specific examples, while indicating specific embodiments of the disclosure,
are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within
the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art
from this detailed description.< BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The a<br />ccompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the systems
and methods of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this
specification. The drawings illustrate one or more embodiment(s) of the disclosure
and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles and operation of
the disclosure. FIG. 1 is a process flow diagram illustrating a conventional SMR
system. FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram illustrating a methane reformer system for
producing syngas, according to a first example embodiment. FIG. 3 is a process f
low diagram illustrating a methane reformer system for producing syngas, according
to a second example embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a process
for producing syngas, according to example embodiments. FIG. 5 is a process flow
diagram illustrating a methane reformer system for producing hydrogen and methan-
ol, according to a third example embodiment. FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram illust-
rating a methane reformer system having an Organic Rankin Cycle (ORC) unit for
producing hydrogen and methanol, according to a fourth example embodiment.
https://patents.justia.com/patent/20230294984
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
- -------------------------------------------------------------------
US Patent Application for Methane Reformer for the Production of Hydrogen and a H
ydrocarbon Fuel Patent Application (Application #20230294984 issued September
21, 2023) - Justia Patents Search
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風蕭々と碧い時
John Lennon Imagine
アルバム『終わりなきこの愛』 2019年4月24日
ノスタルジー NOSTALGY
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