Method and apparatus for production of hydrogen using rotary generated thermal energy

Abstract

A method is provided for inputting thermal energy into fluidic medium in a process or processes related to production of hydrogen. The method comprises generating heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus comprising a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and a stator configured as an assembly of stationary vanes arranged at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. In the method, an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the rotary apparatus by virtue of series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through stationary and rotating components of said rotary apparatus, respectively. The method further comprises integration of said at least one rotary apparatus into a heat-consuming process facility configured as a hydrogen production facility and further configured to carry out heat-consuming process or processes related to production of hydrogen at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), and conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the heat-consuming process facility, the input energy comprises electrical energy. Related method, arrangement and facility for hydrogen production are further provided.

1 . A method for inputting thermal energy into a process or processes related to producing hydrogen in a hydrogen production facility, the method comprises generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the hydrogen production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising:
 a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit,   a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and   a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades,   the method further comprises:
 integrating the at least one rotary apparatus into the hydrogen production facility configured to carry out process or processes related to hydrogen production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), 
 conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the hydrogen production facility, the input energy comprising electrical energy, and 
 operating the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the hydrogen production facility such, that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising connecting, in said hydrogen production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus to at least one reactor or furnace configured to produce hydrogen from hydrocarbon-containing gas. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one reactor or furnace is configured to carry out thermal and/or catalytic processes to generate hydrogen from the hydrocarbon-containing gas. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen production facility is a methane pyrolysis plant or a steam methane reforming (SMR) plant. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising generation, by at least one rotary apparatus, of the fluidic medium heated to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.), preferably, to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1200° C., still preferably, to the temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising adjusting velocity and/or pressure of the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus to produce conditions, at which the stream of the heated fluidic medium is generated. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the heated fluidic medium is generated by at least one rotary apparatus comprising two or more rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged along the rotor shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the heated fluidic medium is generated by at least one rotary apparatus further comprising a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, the method comprises operating the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the hydrogen production facility such, that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium successively passes through the stationary vanes, the rotor blades and the diffuser area, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein, in said rotary apparatus, the diffuser area is configured with or without stationary diffuser vanes. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the amount of thermal energy added to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus is controlled by adjusting the amount of input energy conducted into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the hydrogen production facility. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising arranging an additional heating apparatus downstream of the at least one rotary apparatus and introducing a reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through said additional heating apparatus, whereupon the amount of thermal energy is added to said stream of fluidic medium through exothermic reaction(s). 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced to the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a predetermined temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the reactive compound or a mixture of reactive compounds is introduced to the stream of fluidic medium preheated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein preheating of the stream of fluidic medium to the predetermined temperature is implemented in the rotary apparatus. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium by at least two rotary apparatuses integrated into the hydrogen production facility, wherein the at least two rotary apparatuses are connected in parallel or in series. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium by at least two sequentially connected rotary apparatuses, wherein the stream of fluidic medium is preheated to a predetermined temperature in at least a first rotary apparatus in a sequence, and wherein said stream of fluidic medium is further heated in at least a second rotary apparatus in the sequence by inputting an additional amount of thermal energy into the stream of preheated fluidic medium propagating through said second rotary apparatus. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein, in at least the first rotary apparatus in the sequence, the stream of fluidic medium is preheated to a temperature essentially equal to or exceeding about 1700° C. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the additional amount of thermal energy is added to the stream of fluidic medium propagating through said at least second rotary apparatus in the sequence by virtue of introducing the reactive compound or a mixture of compounds into said stream. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising introducing the reactive compound or a mixture of compounds into the process or processes related to hydrogen production. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a feed gas, a recycle gas, a make-up gas, and a process fluid. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fluidic medium that enters the rotary apparatus is an essentially gaseous medium. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium in the rotary apparatus. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus is a hydrocarbon-containing gas. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the hydrocarbon-containing gas heated in the rotary apparatus comprises or consists of methane, natural gas or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus comprises or consists of a gaseous medium other than the hydrocarbon-containing gas, such air, steam (H 2 O), nitrogen (N 2 ), or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus comprises or consists of a recycle gas recycled from exhaust gases generated during hydrogen production process(es) in the hydrogen production incineration facility. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium outside the rotary apparatus through a process of heat transfer between the heated fluidic medium generated in the rotary apparatus and a stream of fluidic medium bypassing the rotary apparatus. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , comprising generation of the heated fluidic medium, provided as a hydrocarbon-containing gas, outside the rotary apparatus through a process of heat transfer between the heated fluidic medium other than said hydrocarbon-containing gas generated in the rotary apparatus and a stream of fluidic medium provided as the hydrocarbon-containing gas and bypassing the rotary apparatus. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising increasing pressure in the stream of fluidic medium propagating through the rotary apparatus. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , in which the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the hydrogen production facility is within a range of about 5 percent to 100 percent. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of electrical energy conducted as the input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated in the hydrogen production facility is obtainable from a source of renewable energy or a combination of different sources of energy, optionally, renewable energy. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is utilized to balance variations, such as oversupply and shortage, in the amount of electrical energy, optionally renewable electrical energy, by virtue of being integrated into the hydrogen production facility together with at least one non-electrical energy operable heater device. 
     
     
         33 . A hydrogen production facility comprising at least one reactor or furnace configured to produce hydrogen from hydrocarbon-containing gas at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.) and at least one rotary apparatus configured to generate a heated fluidic medium for inputting thermal energy into said at least one reactor or furnace, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising:
 a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit, 
 a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and 
 a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades, 
 wherein said at least one rotary apparatus is configured to receive an amount of input energy, the input energy comprising electrical energy, and 
 wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is further configured to operate such that an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary guide vanes and the at least one row of the rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated. 
 
     
     
         34 . The hydrogen production facility of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one rotary apparatus comprises two or more rows of rotor blades sequentially arranged along the rotor shaft. 
     
     
         35 . The hydrogen production facility of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one rotary apparatus further comprises a diffuser area arranged downstream of the at least one row of rotor blades. 
     
     
         36 . The hydrogen production facility of  claim 33 , wherein the rotary apparatus comprises the diffuser area configured with or without stationary diffuser vanes. 
     
     
         37 . The hydrogen production facility of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one rotary apparatus is further configured to increase pressure in the fluidic stream propagating therethrough. 
     
     
         38 . The hydrogen production facility of  claim 33 , wherein at least two rotary apparatuses are arranged into an assembly and connected in parallel or in series. 
     
     
         39 . The hydrogen production facility of  claim 33 , configured as a methane pyrolysis plant or a steam methane reforming (SMR) plant. 
     
     
         40 . A hydrogen production facility configured to implement a process or processes related to production of hydrogen through a method as defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         41 . Use of the hydrogen production facility in accordance with  claim 33  for implementation of processes related to production of hydrogen and/or synthesis gas, optionally, through a process of steam-methane reforming. 
     
     
         42 . Use of the hydrogen production facility in accordance with  claim 33  for implementation of processes related to conversion of methane to hydrogen, fuels and/or chemicals. 
     
     
         43 . Use of the method in accordance with  claim 1  in a heat-consuming facility configured for- and/or in processes related to production of hydrogen and/or synthesis gas, optionally, through a process of steam-methane reforming. 
     
     
         44 . Use of the method in accordance with  claim 1  in a heat-consuming facility configured for- and/or in processes related to conversion of methane to hydrogen, fuels and/or chemicals. 
     
     
         45 . Use of the method in accordance with  claim 1  for improving energy efficiency of a hydrogen production facility and/or for reducing greenhouse gas and particle emissions in said hydrogen production facility. 
     
     
         46 . A method for production of hydrogen, comprising inputting thermal energy into a process or processes related to producing hydrogen in a hydrogen production facility in accordance with a method defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         47 . A method for production of hydrogen, the method comprising generation of a heated fluidic medium by at least one rotary apparatus integrated into a hydrogen production facility, the at least one rotary apparatus comprising:
 a casing with at least one inlet and at least one exit,   a rotor comprising at least one row of rotor blades arranged over a circumference of a rotor hub mounted onto a rotor shaft, and   a plurality of stationary vanes arranged into an assembly at least upstream of the at least one row of rotor blades,   wherein   an amount of thermal energy is imparted to a stream of fluidic medium directed along a flow path formed inside the casing between the inlet and the exit by virtue of a series of energy transformations occurring when said stream of fluidic medium passes through the stationary vanes and the at least one row of rotor blades, respectively, whereby a stream of heated fluidic medium is generated, the method further comprising:
 conducting an amount of input energy into the at least one rotary apparatus integrated into the hydrogen production facility, the input energy comprising electrical energy, 
 supplying the stream of heated fluidic medium generated by the at least one rotary apparatus into the hydrogen production facility, and 
 operating said at least one rotary apparatus and said hydrogen production facility to carry out hydrogen production at temperatures essentially equal to or exceeding about 500 degrees Celsius (° C.).