JP2001106504A - Synthetic gas producing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a synthetic gas producing device enabling highly efficiently the mass production of a synthetic gas at a required time in a required quantity using inexpensive water and a carbon material as a novel energy. SOLUTION: The synthetic gas containing H2 and CO is obtained by arranging concentrically a cathode 48 and a tubular anode 26 in housings 14, 16, 18 to form an arc reaction chamber 76 therebetween, filling a granular carbon- containing material 78 in the arc reaction chamber 76, generating an arc by feeding electricity between the electrodes and converting water to steam in the presence of the arc and simultaneously reacting the steam with carbon of the carbon-containing material.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing a synthesis gas, and more particularly to an apparatus for producing a synthesis gas which is important as a fuel for automobiles and generators, or as a raw material for a chemical industry such as methane and methanol.

[0002]

Of the Prior Art U.S. Patent No. 5,159,900 are opposed to two carbon rod electrode into the water in the tank, a device for generating a COH ₂ synthesis gas is proposed by generating an arc between the electrodes ing. US Patent No. 5,43
Nos. 5,274 and 5,692,549 dispose a counter electrode made of carbon in water, and generate an arc between the counter electrodes to partially oxidize carbon to generate synthesis gas. A device has been proposed.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above syngas producing apparatus is inefficient and cannot mass produce syngas industrially. In addition, since the carbon electrode is immersed in water, the size of the device is increased, and it is difficult to reduce the cost of the device. Moreover, synthesis gas could not be produced at low cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide a small, high-performance, low-cost synthesis gas production apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a synthesis gas production apparatus capable of mass-producing a low-cost synthesis gas with high efficiency.

[0006]

[MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS] In the first invention of the present application, the synthesis gas producing apparatus includes a housing means having an inlet for water introduction and an outlet for syngas discharge,
A first electrode means supported in the housing means, a second electrode means spaced from the first electrode means, an arc reaction chamber formed between the first and second electrode means;
A particulate carbon-containing material filled in the arc reaction chamber, a power supply means for supplying power to the first and second electrode means to generate an arc in the arc reaction chamber, and cooling the first and second electrode means inside the housing means This is achieved by providing cooling means for performing the cooling operation, and passage means for connecting the inlet and the arc reaction chamber.

[0007] In the second invention of the present application, the syngas producing apparatus has a housing means having an inlet for water introduction and an outlet for syngas discharge, a first electrode means supported in the housing means, and a distance from the first electrode means. An arc reaction chamber formed between the first and second electrode means disposed therein, a particulate carbon-containing material filled in the arc reaction chamber, and the first and second electrode means. This is achieved by providing a power supply means for supplying a power to the carbon-containing material to generate a minute arc in the gap of the carbon-containing material, and a passage means for connecting the inlet and the arc reaction chamber.

In the third invention of the present application, the syngas producing apparatus includes a housing means having an inlet for water introduction and an outlet for syngas discharge, and a three-phase alternating current concentrically arranged in the housing means at an axial distance. A tubular electrode, an arc reaction chamber formed in the tubular electrode and communicating with the inlet and the outlet, a particulate carbon-containing material filled in the arc reaction chamber, and a three-phase AC power supply to the tubular electrode to supply granular carbon. This is achieved by providing a three-phase AC power supply that generates a minute arc in the gap of the contained material.

[0009]

In the synthesis gas production apparatus of the present invention, the electrode means and the arc reaction chamber are disposed in a housing means having an inlet for water introduction and an outlet for syngas discharge, and the arc reaction chamber is filled with a particulate carbon-containing material. Steam is generated from water introduced into the housing means from the inlet, an arc is generated in the gap of the granular carbon-containing material by supplying power to the electrode means, and the steam is brought into contact with the granular carbon-containing material in the presence of the arc. This enables mass production of synthesis gas with high efficiency.

[0010]

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, a synthesis gas production apparatus 10 includes a front cover 12, a front housing 14, a center housing 16, and a rear housing 18. The housings 14, 16, 18 are each made of ceramic or other heat-resistant insulating material, have a common central shaft 20, and are connected by screws (not shown). For example, in FIG. 2, the screw passes through the through hole 21 of the center housing 16 and is screwed into a tap hole of the rear housing 18. In FIG. 2, inside the housings 18, 16, and 14, a cathode holder 22,
The injector ring 24 and the anode 26 are housed. The cathode holder 22 is fixedly supported inside the housings 18 and 16. The injector ring 24 is fixedly supported inside the center housing 16 while being sandwiched between the cathode holder 22 and the anode 26. The rear portion of the anode 26 extends partially into the center housing 16 and is held in a fixed position by the front cover 12.

The cathode holder 22 and the anode 26 are connected to a DC power supply or a high-frequency power supply (not shown) via terminal members 28 and 30, respectively. The terminal member 28 is screwed to the cathode holder 22, and the terminal member 30 is connected to the anode 26.
Tap hole 1 of front housing 14
4a. The housing 14 and the front cover 12 each include a water inlet 32 and an outlet 34 for discharging cracked gas. Water is supplied to the inlet 32 through a water supply pipe 36. NaO in water
An electrolyte such as H or KOH may be added, or seawater may be used as electrolyzed water. However, in this case, since chlorine gas is also contained in the decomposition gas, it is preferable to separate unnecessary gas components from the decomposition gas by washing with water or other appropriate method. Inside the housings 14 and 16, first cooling passage means 38 for cooling the outer periphery of the anode 26, second cooling passage means 40 for cooling the cathode holder 22, and an intermediate passage 41
And

In FIG. 2, the cathode holder 22 includes a front end 46 for holding a screw portion 44 of the cathode assemble 42. The cathode assembly 42 is the anode 2
6 is provided with a rod-shaped cathode 48 extending inside. Cathode 48
Is made of an electrode material such as thorium-containing tungsten or hafnium nitride. The central portion of the cathode holder 22 is located at the steam generator 5 disposed in the second cooling means 40.
0 is provided. The steam generating section 50 has a central hole 52 in the cathode holder 22, a tubular copper mesh 54, and a copper mesh 5.
A plurality of pellets or ball-shaped solid heat transfer bodies 56 filled in 4 and dissipating heat of the cathode assemblage 48 to generate steam from the preheated water are provided. The second cooling passage means 40 includes an annular passage 58, an inlet 60, and an outlet 62 formed in the cathode holder 22. The annular passage 58 communicates with the first cooling passage means 38. A steam supply passage 64 is arranged between the outlet 62 and the injector ring 24. The steam supply passage 64 is formed in the rear housing 18, and a flow regulating valve 66 for adjusting the steam supply amount is disposed at an intermediate portion thereof. The center housing 16 has a passage 68 for supplying steam to the injector ring 24. An annular passage 70 is formed between the outer periphery of the injector ring 24 and the inner wall of the center housing 16. The injector ring 24 includes a plurality of steam injection nozzles 72 for injecting steam in a tangential direction,
A vortex chamber 74 is formed between the inner wall and the outer periphery of the cathode assemble 42.

An arc reaction chamber 76 is formed between the cathode assemble 42 and the anode 26, and is filled with a particulate carbon-containing material 78. The carbon-containing material 78 is charcoal, coal,
It is selected from a bulk, solid or powdery material selected from the group consisting of petroleum coke, graphite, carbon, concentrated sewage sludge, and mixtures thereof. Note that the carbon-containing material 78 may be one obtained by depositing carbon on the surface of the catalyst metal. As an example, the catalyst metal is selected from a simple substance or an iron oxide such as nickel-containing magnetite (Fe ₃ O ₄ ), which is activated by passing hydrogen at 300 to 500 ° C. to form an oxygen-deficient magnetite, and then introducing carbon dioxide. Carbon may be deposited on the surface of the magnetite. In FIG. 2, when carbon balls having a diameter of 2 to 30 mm are used as the carbon-containing material, the carbon balls come into point contact with each other and a number of gaps are formed between the carbon balls. Therefore, when power is supplied to the electrodes, current flows through the individual carbon balls, and arcs are generated by sparks. This arc is uniformly generated in most of the gaps of the carbon ball filled in the arc reaction chamber 76. Steam introduced from the injector ring 24 passes through these gaps. At this time, the steam reacts with the carbon of the carbon ball in the presence of the arc to generate a large amount of H ₂ and CO-containing synthesis gas. A disk-shaped perforated plate 80 is arranged on the front side of the arc reaction chamber 76. A quenching chamber 82 and a quenching fin 84 are formed at the front end of the anode 26, and the quenching chamber 82 communicates with the first cooling passage means 38 via a passage 86. A quenching chamber 88 and a quenching fin 90 are formed in the center of the front cover 12. The quenching chambers 82 and 88 and the quenching fins 84 and 90 are axially aligned and continuous. The synthesis gas blows out from the perforated plate 80 and expands,
After being quenched by the quenching fins 88 and 90, it is discharged from the outlet 34.

In the above configuration, water as a raw material is shared as cooling water. For this purpose, cooling water is introduced from the inlet 32 into the first cooling passage means 38, a part of which is supplied to the quenching chambers 82, 88 via the passage 86, and the remainder through the passage 41 to the second cooling passage. Supplied to the means 40. At this time, the anode 26 and the cathode 48 are energized, and a large amount of minute arc is generated in the gap of the granular carbon-containing material 78. In this state, the outer periphery of the anode 26 is continuously cooled by the cooling water. The cooling water then flows into the annular passage 58 and the inlet 60 of the second cooling passage means 40 to cool the cathode holder 22 and is preheated to hot water. This hot water comes into contact with the high-temperature heat transfer body 56 in the steam generating section 50 to generate steam. Steam is the opening adjustment screw 66
The flow rate of the cathode assemble 42 is cooled while cooling the surface of the cathode assemble 42 and flows into the arc reaction chamber 76. At this time, the steam contacts and reacts with the carbon-containing material 78 in the arc reaction chamber 76 in the presence of the arc to generate synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is ejected from the perforated plate 80, quenched by the quench fins 84 and 90, and then discharged from the outlet 34.

FIG. 3 shows a modification of the syngas production apparatus of FIG. 2, and the same parts as those of FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 3, the anode 100 includes multi-phase electrodes 102, 104 and 106 composed of tubular three-phase AC electrodes concentric with the cathode 48, which are respectively R-phase and S-phase of a three-phase AC power supply 108.
Phase, T phase. The cathode holder 42 is preferably connected to the neutral point of the three-phase AC power supply 108 or has a ground potential. The electrode 106 includes a quenching chamber 110. Electrode 102
An insulating spacer 112 is disposed between the electrodes 104 and 104, and an insulating spacer 114 is similarly disposed between the electrodes 104 and 106. When the three-phase AC voltage is supplied to the multiphase electrodes 102, 104, and 106, a minute arc is generated in the gap between the multiphase electrodes 102, 104 and the neutral electrode 48 in the particulate carbon-containing material 78 at the first timing. appear. Next, at the second timing, a potential difference is generated between the multi-phase electrodes 102, 104, 106 and the neutral electrode 48, and a minute arc is generated in a gap between the particulate carbon-containing material 78 therebetween. Third
At the timing, a potential difference is generated between the multi-phase electrodes 102 and 106 and the neutral electrode 48, and an arc is generated in a gap between the particulate carbon-containing material 78 therebetween. At the fourth timing, an arc is generated in the gap of the particulate carbon-containing material 78 between all the multi-phase electrodes 102, 104, 106 and the neutral electrode 48. At the fifth timing, the multi-phase electrode 1
04, 106 and the neutral electrode 48 between the granular carbon-containing material 7
An arc is generated in the gap 8. At the sixth timing, an arc is generated in the gap of the particulate carbon-containing material 78 between the multi-phase electrodes 102, 104, 106 and the neutral electrode. Thereafter, the same cycle is repeated. As described above, in the arc reaction chamber 76, the arc generation position is sequentially changed according to the voltage phase, and the ionized gas at a plurality of arc generation positions is constantly supplied. Therefore, even if the amount of steam is increased, the arc is not interrupted in the arc reaction chamber 76 up to the gap of the particulate carbon-containing material 78, and a stable synthesis gas is generated from steam and carbon. The three-phase AC power supply 108 may be constituted by a high-frequency AC power supply. In addition, the neutral electrode 48 is removed, and the multi-phase electrodes 102, 104, and 106 are changed to delta (Δ).
It may be connected to a three-phase AC power supply having a shape connection, and the arc generating position may be changed at a plurality of locations along the three-phase AC voltage.

FIG. 4 shows another modification of the synthesis gas production apparatus of FIG. 2, and the same parts as those of FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. In FIG. 4, the first electrode is a front housing 14.
2 (see FIG. 2), a flat cathode 122 supported by a cathode holder 42, and a front housing 14 disposed between the anode 120 and the cathode 122.
And an insulating sleeve 124 housed in the center housing 16. The anode 120 is connected to the cooling water passage 126
, A quenching chamber 128, a quenching fin 130, and a decomposition gas jet 132. The cathode 122 is the steam supply port 1
And the swirl chamber 74 of the injector ring 24
Communicate with An arc reaction chamber 76 is formed inside the insulating sleeve 124, and is filled with the particulate carbon-containing material 78. When power is supplied to the anode 120 and the cathode 122, a minute arc is generated in the gap of the carbon-containing material 78. When steam is introduced from the vortex chamber 74 into the arc reaction chamber 76 through the steam supply port 134 of the cathode 122, the steam passes through the gap in the carbon-containing material 78, and then in the presence of an arc within the gap. Reacts with carbon to produce synthesis gas. The synthesis gas is quenched by the quench fin 130 while ejecting from the ejection port 132, and is discharged from the outlet 136. In FIG. 4, a second plate-like electrode having a through hole is disposed between the anode 120 and the cathode 122, and these electrodes are connected to a three-phase AC power supply or a high-frequency AC power supply as in the embodiment of FIG. Is also good.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the neutral electrode 48 may be omitted. Further, the three-phase AC electrode may be a four-phase AC four electrode or a six-phase AC six electrode.

[0018]

As is clear from the above, according to the syngas production apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to mass-produce synthesis gas at low cost using water and a carbon-containing material as raw materials, and as a new energy source or a chemical industrial raw material. The contribution is large for use.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a synthesis gas production apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the synthesis gas production apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a modified example of the synthesis gas production apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is another modified example of the synthesis gas production apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

12 front cover, 14 front housing,
16 center housing, 18 rear housing, 20 center axis, 22 cathode holder, 24 injector ring, 26 anode, 28, 30 terminal member, 32 inlet, 34 outlet, 38
1st cooling passage, 40 2nd cooling passage, 42 cathode assemble, 48 cathode, 50 steam generator,
72 jet nozzle, 74 vortex chamber, 76 arc reaction chamber, 78 micro arc forming material, 82, 88 quenching chamber, 102, 104, 106 tubular three-phase AC electrode, 1
08 three-phase AC power supply, 110 quenching chamber, 122 flat cathode, 126 anode

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A housing means having an inlet for water introduction and an outlet for syngas discharge, first electrode means supported in the housing means, and second electrode means spaced from the first electrode means. An arc reaction chamber formed between the first and second electrode means, a particulate carbon-containing material filled in the arc reaction chamber, and power supply to the first and second electrode means to generate an arc in the arc reaction chamber. An apparatus for producing a synthesis gas, comprising: a power supply means for cooling; a cooling means for cooling the first and second electrode means inside the housing means; and a passage means for connecting the inlet and the arc reaction chamber. 2. The synthesis gas production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the passage means and the cooling means are integrated. 3. The synthesis gas producing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an electrode holder accommodated in the housing means and supporting the second electrode means. 4. The synthesis gas production apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising steam generating means, wherein the steam generating means is connected to the passage means. 5. The synthesis gas production apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an injector for supplying steam to the arc reaction chamber. 6. The synthesis gas producing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first electrode means comprises a tubular anode, and the second electrode means comprises a cathode assembly supported by an electrode holder and concentric with the tubular anode. 7. A syngas production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrode means comprise three-phase AC electrodes spaced apart in the axial direction, and the power supply means comprises a three-phase AC power supply. . 8. The synthesis gas production apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a neutral electrode, wherein the neutral electrode is grounded. 9. The synthesis gas according to claim 3, wherein the first electrode means comprises an anode, and the second electrode means comprises a flat cathode supported by an electrode holder and spaced axially from the anode. manufacturing device. 10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
An apparatus for producing synthesis gas, comprising: a front cover fixed to a housing means; and a quenching means in which the front cover is disposed at an outlet. 11. The method according to claim 4 or 5, further comprising:
A synthesis gas production device comprising a flow rate adjusting means between a steam generating means and an injector means. 12. A housing means having an inlet for water introduction and an outlet for syngas discharge, first electrode means supported within the housing means, and second electrode means spaced from the first electrode means. An arc reaction chamber formed between the first and second electrode means; a particulate carbon-containing material filled in the arc reaction chamber; and a gap between the carbon-containing material by supplying power to the first and second electrode means. A syngas production apparatus comprising: a power supply means for generating a small arc in the gas; and a passage means for connecting the inlet and the arc reaction chamber. 13. A housing means having an inlet for introducing water and an outlet for discharging syngas, a three-phase alternating tubular electrode concentrically spaced axially within the housing means, and a tubular electrode within the tubular electrode. An arc reaction chamber that is formed and communicates with the inlet and outlet, a granular carbon-containing material filled in the arc reaction chamber, and a three-phase alternating current power supply to the tubular electrode to generate a small arc in the gap of the granular carbon-containing material And a three-phase AC power supply. 14. The syngas according to claim 13, further comprising an electrode holder concentrically arranged with the tubular electrode and grounded, and a neutral electrode supported by the electrode holder and extending into the arc reaction chamber. manufacturing device.