Device and Method for Plasma-Induced Decomposition of Alkanes, in Particular Methane, into Carbon and Hydrogen

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This invention presents a device and method for decomposing alkanes, particularly methane, into carbon and hydrogen using a plasma process. The device integrates a cyclone separator and a plasma region positioned off the vertical axis in the processing chamber. Alkanes are introduced as gases, circulate around the vertical axis, and are then broken down in the plasma into a mixture of carbon and hydrogen. The carbon resublimates into particles, which are separated from the hydrogen-rich gas using centrifugal force. The system is engineered to efficiently produce pure hydrogen and carbon with minimized energy consumption and reduced undesired byproducts.

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• Hydrogen production from natural gas or biogas without generating carbon dioxide emissions.
• Decarbonized hydrogen supply for chemical, energy, or transportation sectors (e.g., fuel cells).
• Production of solid carbon materials (such as carbon black or other value-added carbon nanostructures).
• Integration in small- to medium-scale decentralized hydrogen generation facilities.
• On-site hydrogen production in industrial plants that use methane as a feedstock.

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• Allows for CO2-free hydrogen production by splitting methane directly into hydrogen and solid carbon, avoiding greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional steam reforming.
• Efficient separation of solid carbon and hydrogen, resulting in high-purity product streams for both.
• Improved energy efficiency due to the unique plasma region placement and integration of heat exchangers for preheating feed gas.
• Scalable for smaller installations, unlike other high-power plasma processes, making it suitable for decentralized or distributed hydrogen generation.
• Reduces risk of process blockage and increases operational reliability by limiting recombination reactions and particle aggregation.
• Generates valuable solid carbon as a byproduct, which can be utilized in industrial applications (e.g., as carbon black), creating additional revenue streams.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for plasma-induced decomposition of alkanes, particularly of methane, into carbon and hydrogen, comprising:a cyclone separator (2) comprising a process chamber (3) extending about a vertical axis (H) and comprising at least one gas inlet (4) designed such that introduced alkane-containing gas circulates about the vertical axis (H) of the process chamber (3), as well asa plasma device (5) formed such that alkane contained in the alkane-containing gas is decomposed in a plasma region (6) of the process chamber (3) by means of plasma (7) into a gas comprising carbon and hydrogen, so that resublimation of the carbon to carbon particles is achieved,wherein the carbon particles are separable from the gas by means of the cyclone separator (2) and the plasma region (6) is located exclusively off the vertical axis (H).The invention further relates to respective method.