AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPT FOR PRODUCING HYDROGEN FROM COAL-DERIVED SYNTHESIS GAS

MODULARIZING THE CALTECH SILICA-GLASS MEMBRANE FOR HYDROGEN SEPARATION OFFERS AN ECONOMIC AND EFFICIENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE EXISTING CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) AND HYDROGEN SULFIDE (H2S) SEPARATION TECHNIQUES FOR SYNGAS PURIFICATION. THE CREDIBILITY AND POTENTIAL OF CALTECH'S MEMBRANE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED. THE INORGANIC MEMBRANES FORMED BY VAPOR DEPOSITION ON VYCOR TUBES ARE HIGHLY PERMSELECTIVE TO HYDROGEN. THE MEMBRANES, HOWEVER, HAVE A LOW PERMEABILITY AND THEREFORE NEED TO BE MODULARIZED AS A GROUP IN ORDER TO REACH COMMERCIAL STATUS. THIS PROJECT WILL ATTEMPT TO BRING THIS LABORATORY SCALE TECHNOLOGY TO A COMMERCIAL SCALE, SO THAT IT MAY BE UTILIZED IN AN INTEGRATED HYDROGEN PRODUCTION UNIT USING COAL AS FEED INPUT. OF THE THREE MAJOR STEPS IN CLEAN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION FROM COAL (I.E., GASIFICATION, WATER SHIFT, AND PURIFICATION), THE FIRST TWO ARE ALREADY ESTABLISHED AND COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE. THIS EFFORT AIMS TO PROVIDE A LOW COST, EFFICIENT, AND COMPACT MODULAR PURIFICATION SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATION INTO A HYDROGEN PRODUCTION UNIT. IN THIS PROJECT, THE PHASE I EFFORT INCLUDES THE DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF A SILICA-GLASS MEMBRANE CONTAINING 20 TO 50 TUBES. EXTENSIVE CO2 AND H2S REMOVAL EFFICIENCY TESTING IS BEING CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THE COMMERCIAL FEASIBILITY OF SUCH A MODULE.