SBIR Phase I: Internal Combustion Engines as Small Scale Chemical Plants for Compact, Low Cost Gas to Liquids to Reduce Flaring

SBIR 第一阶段：内燃机作为小型化工厂，用于紧凑、低成本的天然气到液体，以减少火炬

• 批准号: 1938352
• 负责人: Emmanouil Kasseris
• 金额: $ 22.47万
• 依托单位: PLASMA ENERGY INNOVATION
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1938352&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Internal; Combustion; Engines

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the elimination of flaring from oil and gas production. Globally, there were an estimated 150 billion cubic meters (5.3 trillion cubic feet) of flared produced gases in 2016 and around 10 billion cubic meters (353 billion cubic feet) in the U.S. At $2 per thousand cubic feet (MCF) (wellhead natural gas price), the value of flared gases is equivalent to $10.6 B per year globally and $706 M in the U.S. Gases are flared because processes converting them to liquids for transportation (GTL) are expensive and are difficult to execute at a smaller scale. Replacing customized process equipment with mass-produced engines enables significant cost and size reductions. An 8-liter diesel engine that costs ~$10,000 can convert 400 thousand standard cubic feet (MSCF)/day of gas to liquids, rather than a large-scale GTL plant costing ~$15,000/MSCF/day. This project will develop a novel, ultra-compact and low-cost gas to liquids mini-plant. The plant will process methane, ethane and propane near the wellhead (which currently would be flared and wasted) into methanol, a high value chemical that can be transported to market. If converted to methanol at a value of $432/ton, these otherwise flared gas volumes would be valued at $2 B/year for the US market and nearly $30 B/year globally.This SBIR Phase I project proposes to use modified automotive internal combustion engines as small scale chemical reactors and compressors. The necessary pressure and temperature for the reaction is created in-cylinder by piston compression action and partial combustion. This project will develop a staged system of engines: The first converts methane, ethane and propane into carbon monoxide and hydrogen; subsequently, produced gases will be processed in a second engine compressing them and converting them into methanol. This will be accomplished with a high surface area metal foam impregnated with a catalyst placed inside the piston bowl of the second engine. Phase I of the project will: 1) demonstrate a proof-of-concept engine that can synthesize methanol from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and 2) conduct the systems engineering studies describing integration of the engine reactor into a compact GTL plant to be placed near the wellhead.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小企业创新研究 (SBIR) 项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是消除石油和天然气生产中的火炬燃烧。全球范围内，2016 年估计有 1500 亿立方米（5.3 万亿立方英尺）的火炬产出气体，美国约有 100 亿立方米（3530 亿立方英尺）。按每千立方英尺 (MCF) 2 美元计算（井口天然气）价格），全球火炬燃烧气体的价值相当于每年 10.6 亿美元，美国每年价值 7.06 亿美元。运输（GTL）成本昂贵且难以在较小规模下执行。用批量生产的发动机取代定制的工艺设备可以显着降低成本和尺寸。成本约为 10,000 美元的 8 升柴油发动机可以将 40 万标准立方英尺 (MSCF)/天的气体转化为液体，而不是成本约为 15,000 美元/MSCF/天的大型 GTL 工厂。 该项目将开发一种新型、超紧凑和低成本的天然气制液体迷你工厂。 该工厂将在井口附近将甲烷、乙烷和丙烷（目前将被燃烧和浪费）加工成甲醇，这是一种可以运输到市场的高价值化学品。如果以 432 美元/吨的价格转换为甲醇，这些火炬气量在美国市场的价值将达到 2 美元/年，在全球范围内将达到近 30 美元/年。该 SBIR 第一阶段项目建议使用改进的汽车内燃机如小型化学反应器和压缩机。通过活塞压缩作用和部分燃烧在缸内产生反应所需的压力和温度。该项目将开发一个分阶段的发动机系统：第一个将甲烷、乙烷和丙烷转化为一氧化碳和氢气；第二个将甲烷、乙烷和丙烷转化为一氧化碳和氢气；随后，产生的气体将在第二台发动机中进行处理，将其压缩并转化为甲醇。这将通过放置在第二个发动机的活塞碗内的浸渍有催化剂的高表面积金属泡沫来实现。该项目的第一阶段将：1）展示一种概念验证发动机，可以从一氧化碳和氢气合成甲醇，2）进行系统工程研究，描述将发动机反应器集成到位于附近的紧凑型 GTL 工厂中。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。