Gas Separation
GS001: Proof-of-concept engineering systems for membranes and catalytic membrane reactors (CMR) in coal gasification
This project addresses the scale-up of molecular sieve silica membranes for H2 separation and in developing a second catalytic membrane reactor (CMR) module incorporating a WGS reactor with H2 separation. The temperature range of operation under 300 C will address the development of both units for currently near commercial IGCC power plants with cold/warm gas cleaning, but providing new opportunities for H2 separation that replaces the use of physical solvents for CO2 capture from a syngas stream (a less optimal way of producing a H2 rich syngas stream). Development of the second WGS/membrane separator module will provide an integrated unit operation that simplifies both syngas processing and H2 productions and recovery relative to current operating practice. The concepts developed for engineering scale up can also be applied to other emerging concepts for WGS and membrane separation at higher temperatures for advanced IGCC cycles (such as those proposed in projects GP002 and GS002). The current project will also rely on project GP001 to assist the selection of optimal water gas shift catalysts.
GS002: Thin film metal membranes for hydrogen separation
This project addresses H2 separation from syngas streams at high temperature (up to 880 C) for the implementaton of more advanced and higher efficiency IGCC and fuel cell based power generation cycles. It also proposes the development of thin film metal membranes that are not Palladium (Pd) based - which currently is an expensive and a scarce rare metal resource. The thin film metal membranes can additionally be combined with porous metal substrates that promote the WGS reaction at high temperatures (project GP002) to develop an integrated module for simultaneous H2 production and recovery from a syngas stream (similar to the concept proposed in project GS001, but at much higher gas stream temperatures).