(30e) Minimizing Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Fuel Plants by Integrating Processes

Increased environmental awareness and efficient energy utilization requires the development of improved methodologies for the synthesis and design of chemical processes. A new approach of synthesizing process from a mass, energy and entropy point of view has been developed (Patel et. al., 2006). This design approach can be utilized in the very early design stages and requires only simple thermodynamic data to effectively synthesize a process. This tool effectively sets targets for the overall process, determines the limiting variable (mass, energy or work) and allows one to scan all the various options easily.

It can be shown that the mass, energy and entropy balance for an overall process are all linear and by employing a linear programming model, with the various constraints and a suitable objective function one can determine the feasible region for the overall chemical process i.e. the overall mass balance.

We employ an example of co-generating hydrocarbon liquids and methanol (and heat) from a methane and/or coal feed. We will show that it is possible to determine an overall process which requires no energy or work input and does not produce carbon dioxide. Thus, in principle it is possible to design a zero-emissions overall process.

These ideas are to be tested in a pilot plant currently being built in China by the Golden Nest Company.

References:

Patel B, Hildebrandt D, Glasser D, Hausberger B; The synthesis and integration of chemical processes from a mass, energy and entropy perspective. Submitted, 2006.