Syngas generator for blast furnace

Abstract

A method for producing a syngas stream for use in a blast furnace, including providing a hot air stream to an ion transport membrane, thereby producing a hot nitrogen rich stream and a hot oxygen rich stream, providing a methane stream to the ion transport membrane, wherein the methane reacts with the hot oxygen rich stream thereby producing a syngas containing stream, introducing the syngas containing stream into a CO2 removal unit, thereby producing a carbon dioxide rich stream, and a hydrogen rich stream, and introducing the hydrogen rich stream into a blast furnace, thereby replacing at least a portion of the natural gas fuel required therein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing a hydrogen rich stream for use in a blast furnace, comprising;
 a. providing a hot air stream to an ion transport membrane, thereby producing a hot nitrogen rich stream and a hot oxygen rich stream,   b. providing a methane and steam mixture stream to the ion transport membrane on the permeate side, wherein the methane reacts with the hot oxygen rich stream over a catalyst thereby producing a syngas stream,   c. introducing the syngas containing stream into a CO2 removal unit, thereby producing a carbon dioxide rich stream, and a hydrogen rich stream, and   d. introducing the hydrogen rich stream into a blast furnace, thereby replacing at least a portion of the coke and/or injected fuel required therein.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said hot air stream has a temperature greater than 750C. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said hot air stream has a temperature between 750C and 1000 C. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising introducing the syngas containing stream into a heat recovery steam generator prior to introduction into the CO2 removal unit, thereby producing steam. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising introducing the syngas containing stream into a water-gas shift reaction prior to introduction into the CO2 removal unit. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen rich stream displaces a significant portion of the fuel required in the blast furnace. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hot nitrogen rich stream provides at least a portion of the heat required to produce the hot air stream. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the hot air stream is provided by a blast furnace air compressor. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a part of the top gas stream is compressed and mixed with ITM syngas upstream of shift reactor, and thus part of the hydrogen and carbon monoxide present in the top gas stream is recovered and recycled to the blast furnace.