Process Improvement in Power-To-X (ptx) Processes

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This invention provides an improved method and system for optimizing biogas Power-to-X (PtX) processes, specifically by enhancing partial load operation and increasing hydrogen utilization. The key innovation is the integration of an additional polymeric gas separation membrane into the existing membrane setup for hydrocarbon synthesis, such as methane production from biogas and hydrogen. This improvement enables more effective hydrogen recycling, reduces hydrogen and methane loss in off-gases, and lowers energy consumption for gas recompression.

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• Upgrading biogas plants for more efficient synthetic methane or other hydrocarbon production (such as methanol or kerosene).
• Waste-to-energy or renewable gas facilities using PtX technologies to store renewable electricity or synthesize fuels.
• Industrial hydrogen recycling in synthetic fuel generation from CO2-rich sources.
• Integrating hydrogen from electrolysis into existing biogas or gasification plants.
• Optimizing small- and mid-scale renewable gas-to-grid systems to maximize output and reduce emissions.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enhanced hydrogen utilization, reducing waste of valuable hydrogen in off-gases.
• Decreased methane slip, leading to higher product yields and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
• Lower energy costs due to reduced need for gas recompression in the upgrading process.
• Greater flexibility for operating biogas-PtX plants at varying loads (part-load capability), which is useful for adjusting to fluctuating renewable energy supply or demand.
• Facilitates CO2 reduction and even negative emissions when combined with carbon sequestration options.

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Patent Abstract

Thus, the objective of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for the optimization of the part load capabilities of a biogas PtX based or gasification gas basedconversion that offer a better capability of using hydrogen that is generated or has not been used in the hydrocarbon synthesis process for further process steps, such as a recycling into the synthesis process. This objective according to the present invention by a method and a system (2) for the optimization of the part load capabilities of a biogas based PtX conversion, comprising the steps of: a) converting the CO2 fraction of the biogas (3) at least partially with hydrogen in a hydrocarbon synthesis reactor (18), into a CH4-rich product gas stream (16), preferably using a condensation unit (19) to separate a fluid (21) comprising water and/or condensable hydrocarbons, such as methanol, gas oil or kerosene, from the CH4 enrichted product gas stream (16); b) treating the CH4-enriched product gas stream (16) by using a regular membrane upgrading unit (6) that at least comprises a main membrane (8) separating CO2 from methane to yield injectable CH4 enriched gas and a CO2 cleaning membrane (10) recovering permeated methane downstream of the main membrane (8) from CO2; and c) leading the CH4-enriched product gas stream (16) over a polymeric gas separation membrane (4) thereby positioning the polymeric gas separation membrane (4) in addition to the regular membrane upgrading unit (6) downstream of the hydrocarbon synthesis reactor (18) and upstream of the regular membrane upgrading unit (6). By the provision of the additional polymeric gas separation membrane, the method and the system allow to increase the recycle rate of hydrogen in the process and therefore reduce its loss through the off gas stream. At the same time, the present invention also allows to decrease the slip of CH4 through the same path and reduce the energy loss due to recompression.