Power plant that uses a membrane and method for operating the same

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This invention describes a power plant that generates electricity by burning coal with nearly pure oxygen instead of air. The plant uses a high-temperature membrane to extract oxygen from atmospheric air, applying a vacuum to one side of the membrane to increase oxygen flow, and eliminating the need for energy-intensive traditional air separation units. Combustion waste gases are cleaned, CO2 is separated for capture, and some flue gas is recycled back to the combustion chamber, increasing efficiency and facilitating carbon capture.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Coal-fired power plants seeking to reduce carbon emissions by integrating carbon capture and storage (CCS).
• Retrofitting existing fossil fuel power plants with membrane-based oxygen production for improved environmental compliance.
• Development of cleaner energy generation technologies using oxy-fuel combustion and innovative gas separation membranes.
• Industrial processes that require pure oxygen streams, where energy-efficient membrane-based separation can offer advantages.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Significantly reduces the energy consumption associated with oxygen production compared to conventional cryogenic methods, thereby improving net plant efficiency.
• Enables easier and more efficient separation and capture of CO2 from flue gases, supporting carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives.
• Minimizes technical challenges and equipment stress tied to high-pressure operations by using atmospheric air and vacuum on the membrane.
• Reduces harmful emissions and environmental footprint from fossil fuel power generation.
• Allows for modular development and potential retrofitting to existing power plants.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

Provided is a power plant for generating electrical energy comprising a combustion chamber for producing steam, at least one downstream flue gas purification stage, a separation stage for CO2, a recycling circuit for the flue gas, and a high-temperature O2 membrane, which is connected upstream of the combustion chamber. The high-temperature O2 membrane has an inlet and an outlet on the feed side which are thermally coupled by way of a heat exchanger. On the permeate side, the high-temperature O2 membrane has only an outlet which is connected to the combustion chamber and/or the flue gas recycling circuit and a means for cooling and/or compression which is disposed in this outlet. The power plant, in which coal is burned using substantially pure oxygen, and in which the combustion waste gas is purified and partially recirculated to the combustion process, is operated in such a way that the oxygen that is used is obtained by separation from air using a high-temperature O2 membrane, wherein the membrane is operated with atmospheric air at a pressure of up to 2 bar on the feed side and a negative pressure of between 0.02 and 0.5 bar is applied on the permeate side.