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FY2005 FRED Database Project Description:
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Project
Information
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Project Title:
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CO2
Hydrate Process for Gas Separation from a Shifted Synthesis Gas Stream
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Project I.D.:
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DE-AC26-99FT40248
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FE Program:
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Adv.
Power - Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle
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Research Type:
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Advanced
Development
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Funding Memorandum:
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Contract
- Technology R&D
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Project
Performer
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Performer Type:
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Large
Business
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Performer:
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Nexant, Inc.(A Bechtel Technology &
Cons.Co.)
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Performer Address:
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44 Montgomery Street
Suite 4100
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Other Project Team
Members:
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Los Alamos
National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM, 875442201, NM03
SIMTECHE, Half Moon Bay, CA,
940192268, CA14
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Project
Dates
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Project Start Date:
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30-Sep-99
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Project End Date:
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31-Aug-06
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Project
Location
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City:
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San Francisco
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State:
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CA
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ZIP Code:
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94104-4814
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Congressional District:
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8
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Responsible FE Site:
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NETL
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Project
Contact
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Name:
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Deppe, Gordon
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Telephone:
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(415) 369-1065
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Fax Number:
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Email Address:
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gdeppe@nexant.com
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DOE/FE
Contact
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Name:
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Figueroa,
Jose' D.
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Telephone Number:
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4123864966 4966
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Site Location:
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NETL
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Email Address:
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jose.figueroa@netl.doe.gov
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Cost
& Funding Info.
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Total Estimated Cost:
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$9,076,621
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DOE Share:
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$9,076,621
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Non-DOE Share:
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$0
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Project
Description
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Project Description:
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The objectives
of the work include 1) to experimentally confirm the feasibility of the
proposed CO2 hydrate concept; 2) to extend previously developed process
modeling to the latest proposed concept for the SIMTECHE process; 3) to
determine ultimate reduction in carbon dioxide concentration that can be
achieved and to assess the potential negative influence of H2 S and CH4 on
the process; 4) to provide detailed
design and operating data in preparation for field testing of a slipstream
test unit at an industrial site; 5) to assess the impact of the experimental
findings on the overall process economics and to identify critical properties
and critical parameters; and 6) to conduct field tests at an operating
gasifier to bring the technology to an engineering state of readiness.
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Project Background:
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The nations of the world are realizing that uncontrolled
emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2; for example) into the atmosphere pose a
serious threat to the quality of life on the planet. Dunsmore (1992)
estimated that the world's atmosphere contains approximately 720 Gt of carbon as CO2 (1 Gt = 1
billion (109) tonnes; 1 tonne = 1000 kg).
Rubin et al. (1992) estimated worldwide anthropogenic CO2 emissions in
1990 at 21.8 Gt per year. The United States produced roughly 22% of this
total (4.8 Gt); slightly more than one-third of
that (1.7 Gt) came from electrical power
plants. Thus; significant reduction or
elimination of CO2 emissions from power plant and chemical processing
facilities in the U.S. alone could reduce the world's
annual production by more than 8%.
President Clinton underscored the urgency of the problem in his
keynote address at the White House Conference on Climate Change (Georgetown
University; 6 October 1997) by saying; We must be prepared to commit to
realistic and binding goals on our emissions of greenhouse gases.
The Department of Energy; Office of Fossil Energy is addressing this
issue in part with its Vision 21 concept.
This concept; A Pathway to Clean Affordable Energy; focuses on the
development of feedstock-flexible energy-plexes
which produce electric power; fuels; and chemicals or combinations of these
products. Gasification; which can
process coal; biomass; natural gas; or waste materials to produce synthesis
gas from which electric power; hydrogen; methanol; and other products can be
formed; is the key enabling technology for this concept. If synthesis gas is shifted to primarily
hydrogen and carbon dioxide; and the CO2 extracted and sequestered; the raw
feedstocks are effectively de-carbonized.
One of the goals of the Vision 21 program is to produce a technical
option with near-zero emissions of CO2.
The proposed research and development project examines an innovative;
proprietary; CO2 removal technique ¿ the patented SIMTECHE CO2-Hydrate
Separation Process; which holds promise of not only greatly reducing CO2
emissions but also reducing the costs and the energy penalty paid for the
removal process. Prior evaluations of
the SIMTECHE process show promise of significant reduction of both energy
losses associated with CO2 separation and sequestration; as well as other
process costs. Successful application
of this new direction for solving the continuing problem of CO2 removal will
help DOE to reach the goal of 50-60% power plant energy conversion efficiencies
with near-zero emissions of CO2.
Previously; a limited experimental program was conducted
at the California Institute of Technology which produced some promising
experimental results. These results
need to be confirmed and then the process further developed up to an
engineering state of readiness.
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Project Accomplishments:
[NOTE: Updated information not
available beginning 2004]
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14-Feb-01:
Accomplishment: Hydrate Reactor
Description: Hydrate Formation Feasibility Demonstrated: Carbon dioxide
hydrates were formed in a flow system, validating the Caltech claim that
hydrates can be produced in such a flow-through system. This demonstration is a first essential
requirement for industrial implementation of the Simteche
hydrate technology.
Equilibrium Experiments have established the benefits of a gaseous and liquid
carbon dioxide hydrate promoters. The
promoters lower the initial formation pressure of the hydrate, thereby
increasing scrubber efficiency and allowing operation far from the freezing
temperature of water. This simplifies
operation and reduces the cooling required which a is
a major cost of operation. Since
hydrogen is inert (doe not react with hydrate) no hydrogen will be lost which
is not the case with other processes.
Delta capital costs for IGCC with sequestration are $200 per kW. Hydrate process consumes 15% less power
than amine based on 34 F operating temperature. Incremental cost of power amounts to 17
mils per kWh or an increase of 17%.
This is equivalent to $32 per ton of carbon. Solvent makeup costs are nil since the syn gas provides the necessary water.
01-Jun-02:
Accomplishment: Gas Feed System Integrated w/ Bench-Scale Reactor
Description: Gas feed system, flow controllers, and external cooling system
were integrated with the continuous flow bench-scale reactor, tail tube, viewport, and gas separator to permit mixed gas (A-CO2)
separation testing and performance data collection
01-Jul-02:
Accomplishment: Proof of Concept Separations Tests Completed
Description: 30 Proof-of-Concept A-CO2 separation tests were performed on the
bench-scale apparatus to demonstrate CO2 hydrate separation from a mixed gas
stream of 60% A, 40% CO2, at 1000 psia operating
pressure and temperatures of 34 deg. F., using both tap water and CO2
conditioned" water. Hydrate
formation kinetics were very fast
01-Sep-02:
Accomplishment: Process Engineering Studies Updated
Description: Updated process engineering studies of the commercial hydrate
CO2 separation process indicate CO2 control costs of $5-10 per ton CO2, well
below the costs of competitive processes.
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