DEVICE AND METHOD FOR THE UTILISATION OF LOW-TEMPERATURE HEAT BY DECOUPLING THE LOW-TEMPERATURE HEAT FROM PROCESS GAS, AND USE

Abstract

A low-temperature heat utilization assembly may be configured to decouple low-temperature heat from process gas at temperatures below 200° C. and to provide the process gas at a lowered intermediate temperature or at a still further lowered final temperature for at least one subsequent process. In the low-temperature heat utilization assembly the process gas may be fed to a first unit, by means of which the temperature may be lowered to the intermediate temperature. The process gas may in some cases be provided to a heat exchanger stage for further lowering to the final temperature. The first unit is an ORC unit for energy transformation of the heat energy into electrical energy and may be coupled to an electrical consumer unit. The ORC unit may be configured for energy feedback of electrical energy within the low-temperature heat utilization assembly or to a process upstream of the ORC unit.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. A low-temperature heat utilization assembly configured to decouple low-temperature heat from process gas at temperatures below 200° C. and provide the process gas at a lowered intermediate temperature for at least one subsequent process, the low-temperature heat utilization assembly comprising: an ORC unit configured to be fed the process gas, wherein the ORC unit is configured to lower a temperature of the process gas to the lowered intermediate temperature, wherein the ORC unit is configured for energy transformation of heat energy into electrical energy, wherein the ORC unit is at least one of: coupled to an electrical consumer unit or a line for energy export, or configured for energy feedback of electrical energy within the low-temperature heat utilization assembly or to a process upstream of the ORC unit.

16. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 comprising a second unit with a heat exchanger stage downstream of the ORC unit, wherein the second unit is configured to lower the temperature of the process gas from the lowered intermediate temperature to a final temperature.

17. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 configured to decouple a heat energy flow in a range from 15 MW to 40 MW.

18. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 configured to transform heat energy into electrical energy in a range from 1.5 MW to 4.0 MW with a transformation factor in a range from 10%±5% positive/negative deviation.

19. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 comprising an energy coupling or a line that at least one of: couples the ORC unit to additional electrical consumer units, or configures the low-temperature heat utilization assembly for energy feedback within the low-temperature heat utilization assembly or to a plant upstream of the low-temperature heat utilization assembly.

20. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 configured to receive the process gas from a hydrogen plant or a synthesis plant located upstream of the low-temperature heat utilization assembly.

21. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 configured to provide the process gas to a pressure swing adsorption plant located downstream of the low-temperature heat utilization assembly.

22. The low-temperature heat utilization assembly of claim 15 comprising an open-/closed-loop control device that is configured for open-/closed-loop control of flows of electrical energy from an ORC process in the low-temperature heat utilization assembly.

23. A method for utilizing low-temperature heat by decoupling the low-temperature heat from process gas at temperatures below 200° C. and providing the process gas at a lowered intermediate temperature for a subsequent process, the method comprising: feeding the process gas to a first unit where a temperature of the process gas is lowered to the lowered intermediate temperature; performing an ORC process in the first unit for decoupling the low-temperature heat and for providing electrical energy from the low-temperature heat; and feeding or exporting the electrical energy obtained in the ORC process at least one of: to an electrical consumer unit that is coupled to the ORC process, or back within a low-temperature heat utilization process or to a process upstream of the ORC process.

24. The method of claim 23 comprising decoupling the low-temperature heat from the process gas to the lowered intermediate temperature, wherein the process gas is lowered in a second unit in a heat exchange stage to a final temperature to provide the process gas for pressure swing adsorption.

25. The method of claim 23 comprising decoupling a heat energy flow in a range from 15 MW to 40 MW by the ORC process and transforming the heat energy flow into electrical energy.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the ORC process causes a transformation of heat energy into electrical energy in a range from 1.5 MW to 4.0 MW with an energy transformation factor in a range of 10%.

Description

[0033] Further features and advantages of the invention are revealed by the description of at least one exemplary embodiment with reference to drawings, and by the drawings themselves, in which

[0034] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a diagram relating to a plant/process engineering concept according to the prior art;

[0035] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a diagram relating to a plant/process engineering concept according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0036] In the case of reference signs which are not explicitly described in relation to an individual figure, reference is made to the other figures.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows by way of example a plant/process engineering structure relating to the provision of process gas, in particular with reference to a hydrogen plant.

[0038] Process gas M1 is supplied to a cooler 1 at temperatures of below 170° C. to 190° C., in particular in the range from 150° C. to 170° C., in order to be able to provide the process gas downstream thereof as process gas M11 at a temperature level of for example 65° C. (intermediate temperature). In this case, heat flow is output E1 to the surrounding environment (loss of low-temperature heat), in particular a heat energy loss occurs in the range from 15 MW to 40 MW, in particular 2.5 MW to 55 MW, depending on the plant or the process. Downstream of a heat exchanger stage 2 the process gas M12 is present at a temperature level of for example 35° C. (final temperature) and may be put to further use, for example in a pressure swing adsorption plant or in a synthesis gas compressor. For pressure swing adsorption plants in particular, an advantageous final temperature at the inlet of the plant is in the range from 35° C. to 40° C.

[0039] The process gas M1 originates for example from a plant 3 upstream of the energy conversion, in particular from a hydrogen plant. The process gas M12 is fed for example to a plant 4 downstream of the energy conversion, in particular a pressure swing adsorption plant.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows a plant/process engineering structure according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention. At least one ORC process 10 is implemented in a low-temperature heat utilization assembly 100 in such a way that electrical energy obtained from low caloric heat may optionally be exported and/or used in the plant delivering the low caloric heat.

[0041] Low-temperature heat (low caloric heat) is used in an ORC process 10 or in a corresponding unit, in particular such that the process gas M21 is cooled down downstream thereof to approx. 90° C. (intermediate temperature). This temperature downstream of the ORC process is defined for example as a function of the type and pressure of a used working fluid. The intermediate temperature is as low as possible, but for many applications is advantageously above 80° C.

[0042] Downstream of the heat exchanger stage 2, the forwarded process gas M22 may be present in particular at approx. 35° C., as also in the example of FIG. 1. A heat pump may for example optionally also be installed, in particular in order to raise the temperature level of the process gas M21, in particular from 80° C. to a higher level, if a subsequent process should in a given case require a higher temperature than that of the process gas M21.

[0043] The heat energy utilization E2 achievable with the implemented ORC process 10 proceeds in particular by conversion/transformation of the heat energy into electrical energy, in particular for the provision of at least 1.5 MW to 4.0 MW (or 0.25 MW to 5.5 MW) electrical energy from 15 MW to 40 MW (or 2.5 MW to 55 MW) heat energy, in particular with a transformation factor in the range from 10% or 0.1.

[0044] The energy flow E2 may be provided for the individual plant/process engineering components or consumer units 12 involved, in particular for a hydrogen plant, and/or the generated electrical energy may be exported from the process described here out to separate external processes/plants or into a power grid independent of the present ORC process. To this end, an energy coupling 11, in particular line may be provided, which connects the ORC unit 10 with the further plant engineering components or processes (in particular within the plant or externally to further consumers).

[0045] The process gas M1 originates for example from a plant 3 upstream of the energy conversion, in particular from a hydrogen plant. The process gas M22 is for example fed to a plant 4 downstream of the energy conversion, in particular a pressure swing adsorption plant.

[0046] Thanks to the ORC implementation according to the invention, a high degree of self-sufficiency may be ensured. In particular, the present process is independent of an external power supply, and is thus also resistant to mains power variance and unstable power grids. In particular, this may also be very useful at locations with poor infrastructure, or may indeed enable use for the first time of the technology described herein.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0047] 1 Cooling apparatus, in particular air cooler [0048] 2 Heat exchanger stage [0049] 3 Plant or process upstream of the energy conversion, in particular hydrogen plant [0050] 4 Plant or process downstream of the energy conversion, in particular pressure swing adsorption plant [0051] 10 ORC unit or ORC process [0052] 11 Energy coupling, in particular line [0053] 12 Electrical consumer unit [0054] 100 Low-temperature heat utilization assembly [0055] E1 Heat flow output to the surrounding environment, in particular heat energy loss in the range from 15 MW to 55 MW [0056] E2 Heat energy utilization by conversion/transformation into electrical energy, in particular 1.5 MW to 5.5 MW electrical energy, [0057] in particular transformation factor of 10% or 0.1 [0058] M1 Process gas, in particular at a temperature in the range from 150° C. to 170° C. [0059] M11 Actively cooled process gas, in particular at approx. 65° C. [0060] M12 Forwarded process gas, in particular at approx. 35° C. [0061] M21 Actively cooled process gas, in particular at approx. 90° C. [0062] M22 Forwarded process gas, in particular at approx. 35° C.