Method for producing oxidized product and generating power using a solid electrolyte membrane integrated with a gas turbine

Claim 2

A process for producing an oxidized product in conjunction with a gas turbine system for generating power comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a compressed and heated oxygen-containing gas stream with at least one solid electrolyte oxygen ion transport membrane in a reactor, said reactor having a retentate zone and a permeate zone separated by said membrane, wherein at least a portion of oxygen is transported across said membrane from said retentate zone to said permeate zone to generate a permeate stream and an oxygen-depleted retentate stream; (b) passing a reactant into said permeate zone to react with said transported oxygen to generate an oxidized product therefrom; (c) adding said oxygen-depleted retentate stream to a gas turbine combustor; and (d) expanding in a gas turbine said combusted oxygen-depleted gas stream recovered from said gas turbine combustor, thereby generating power.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 wherein said compressed oxygen-containing gas is extracted from a gas turbine compressor prior to step (a).

Claim 4

The process of claim 1 further comprising obtaining an expanded, oxygen-depleted gas stream from said turbine and recovering heat from said expanded, oxygen-depleted gas stream.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1 wherein a portion of said oxygen-containing gas stream is compressed by a compressor driven at least partially by said turbine and supplemental compressed oxygen-containing gas stream is added to said compressed oxygen-containing gas stream prior to contacting said membrane in step (a).

Claim 6

The process of claim 1 wherein said reactant is mixed with a moderator prior to passing into said permeate zone.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5 wherein a moderator is selected from the group consisting of steam, carbon dioxide and argon.

Claim 8

The process in claim 1 wherein said permeate stream is directed to preheat said oxygen-containing gas stream and said reactant.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1 wherein said retentate stream is mixed with a reactant prior to or during combustion in said gas turbine combustor of step (c).

Claim 10

The process of claim 1 wherein said oxygen-containing gas stream flows in a co-current direction relative to that of said reactant in step (b).

Claim 11

The process of claim 1 wherein said oxygen-containing gas stream flows in a countercurrent flow direction relative to said flow of said reactant in step (b).

Claim 12

The process of claim 1 wherein prior to contacting said membrane, a portion of said compressed and heated oxygen-containing gas is heated by a combustion reaction in a combustor using a fuel.

Claim 13

The process of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the heat required to maintain the reactor at the desired operating temperature is supplied internally to said reactor by an exothermic partial oxidation reaction.

Claim 14

The process of claim 1 wherein the operating temperature of said membrane is within a range of from about 500° C. to about 1200° C.

Claim 15

The process of claim 13 wherein said operating temperature of said membrane is within a range of from about 900° C. to about 1100° C.

Claim 16

The process of claim 1 wherein the pressure of said permeate zone is higher than the pressure of said retenate zone.

Claim 17

A process for producing substantially sulfur-free oxidized product gas in conjunction with a gas turbine for generating power comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a compressed and heated oxygen-containing gas stream with at least one solid electrolyte oxygen ion transport membrane in a reactor, said reactor having a retentate zone and a permeate zone separated by said membrane, wherein at least a portion of oxygen is transported across said membrane from said retentate zone to said permeate zone to generate a permeate stream and an oxygen-depleted retentate stream; (b) passing a reactant into said permeate zone to react with said transported oxygen to generate an oxidized product therefrom; (c) passing said oxidized product from step (b) into an acid gas remover to recover sulfur resulting in a substantially sulfur-free partially oxidized product; (d) adding said oxygen-depleted retentate stream in a gas turbine combustor; (e) combusting said sulfur-free partially oxidized product in said gas turbine combustor; and (f) expanding in a gas turbine expander said combusted oxygen-depleted gas stream recovered from a gas turbine combustor, thereby generating power.

Claim 18

A process for producing substantially sulfur-free oxidized product gas in conjunction with a gas turbine for generating power comprising the steps of: (a) contacting a compressed and heated oxygen-containing gas stream with at least one solid electrolyte oxygen ion transport membrane in a reactor, said reactor having a retentate zone and a permeate zone separated by said membrane, wherein at least a portion of oxygen is transported across said membrane from said retentate zone to said permeate zone to generate a permeate stream and an oxygen-depleted retentate stream; (b) passing a reactant into said permeate zone to react with said transported oxygen to generate an oxidized product therefrom; (c) passing said oxidized product from step (b) into an acid gas remover to recover sulfur resulting in a substantially sulfur-free partially oxidized product; (d) adding said oxygen-depleted retentate stream in a gas turbine combustor; (e) combusting said sulfur-free partially oxidized product in said gas turbine combustor; and (f) expanding in a gas turbine expander said combusted oxygen-depleted gas stream recovered from a gas turbine combustor, thereby generating power.

Claim 19

The process of claim 16 wherein a supplemental compressed oxygen-containing gas stream is added to said compressed oxygen-containing gas stream prior to contacting said membrane in step (a).

Claim 20

The process of claim 16 wherein a moderator is added to said reactant prior to contacting said membrane.

Claim 21

The process in claim 16 wherein said permeate stream is used to preheat said oxygen-containing gas stream and said reactant.

Claim 22

The process of claim 16 further comprising using the power generated in the step (d) to operate a heat recovery steam turbine.