METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE PHOTOINDUCED CONVERSION OF CO2 TO METHANOL

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing methanol by the CO.sub.2 conversion route in a photocatalytic process, wherein a base liquid (A) in the form of demineralized and CO.sub.2-saturated water is provided to the reaction tank (1) and graphene material (B) is provided and the contents of the reaction tank (1) is exposed to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength in the UV-VIS-FIR range that is generated by an emitter (D). The invention also relates to an installation for implementing the method.

Claims

1. A method for producing methanol by the CO.sub.2 conversion route in a photocatalytic process, wherein a base liquid (A) in the form of demineralized and CO.sub.2-saturated water is provided to the reaction tank (1) and graphene material (B) is provided, and the contents of the reaction tank (1) is exposed to an electromagnetic radiation beam with a wavelength in the UV-VIS-FIR range that is generated by the emitter (D).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the concentration of CO.sub.2 in the base liquid is 7 g/l.

3. The method according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the graphene material (B) is in the form of graphene oxide powder, porous graphene, graphene flakes, an aerogel or graphene dots of sizes from 0.1 to 100 m.

4. The method according to claims 1-3, characterized in that the concentration of the graphene material (B) in the reaction tank (1) is 0.1 g per 1 g of demineralized water.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the emitter (D) operates in a continuous or pulsed mode, emitting electromagnetic waves with a wavelength in the range of 400-1100 nm, preferably 650-1100 nm.

6. An installation for the production of methanol by the CO.sub.2 conversion route in a photocatalytic process, equipped with a reaction tank (1) made of a transparent material partially or completely transmittable for the UV-VIS-FIR wavelength, connected from the top to a base liquid tank (9) provided with a programmable injection pump and connected from the top to a vapour condenser subsystem (13), wherein the vapour condenser subsystem (13) is connected in the upper part to a deaerator (14) and in the lower part to an intermediate tank (13) for methanol, and further the intermediate tank (13) through a valve (16) is connected to the target tank (17) for methanol equipped with a programmable pump, the reaction tank (1) further contains a graphene suspension (2) and the reaction tank (1) is connected from the top by a carrier gas supply (10) to a process controller (11) connected to the carrier gas installation (12), in the part where the reaction tank (1) is made of transparent material partially or completely transmittable for the UV-VIS-FIR wavelengths, there is an optical system (8) equipped with a light sensor (F) and connected by an optical fiber (7) to an electromagnetic radiation emitter (6), wherein the reaction tank (1) is embedded in the body (3) by means of a mounting (4) and additionally in the lower part of the reaction tank (1) there is a temperature sensor (T), and in the upper part of the reaction tank (1) there is a pressure sensor (P).

7. The installation according to claim 6, characterized in that the light emitter (6) can be a LED power matrix (6A) or a halogen lamp with a reflector (6B).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The solution according to the invention is illustrated in the drawings, in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of producing methanol by the method according to the invention using capsule Abase liquid (H.sub.2O+CO.sub.2), Bgraphene (flakes, aerogel), Claser, DLED, Ebody (capsule, can, reactor) with a transparent window(-s) made of quartz (glass);

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross-section of the device for producing methanol in a production cycle (photodistillator), a list of designations: 1photocatalytic reactor (chemical reactor subsystem), 2graphene suspension in highly CO.sub.2-saturated water, 3body of the catalytic reactor, 4mounting of the photoreactor (of transparent quartz, or with a quartz window), 5illuminator subsystem (laser, LED, halogen), 6light emitter: laser diode, 6ALED power matrix, 6Bhalogen lamp with a reflector, 7optical fiber, 8optical system, 9water tank with a programmable injection pump, 10carrier gas (Ar, CO.sub.2) supply, 11process controller (mass flow controller, pressure controller), 12carrier gas installation, 13vapor condenser subsystem with a purifier (distillator), 14deaerator, 15intermediate tank for methanol, 16programmable valve, 17target tank for methanol with a programmable pump, Ttemperature sensor, Flight sensor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Description of Embodiments

[0023] The present invention is presented in more detail in an embodiment, which does not limit the scope thereof.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

Methanol Capsule with a Programmed Concentration Thereof

[0024] A small amount of graphene B (0.1 g/1 g water) in the form of fine flakes, foams or an aerogel is placed in a transparent capsule (or with a quartz window) containing CO.sub.2-saturated water as the base liquid A. Operating the light beam from the laser C or led D source (or mixed) causes the generation of methanol to a specific concentration thereof (from 1% to 18%) in water. Concentration programming is done by a suitable time of exposure to light or by the luminous flux intensity. The capsule can then be subjected to a standard distillation process in order to obtain methanol. A schematic diagram of the implementation of the method according to the invention using a capsule is shown in FIG. 1.

[0025] The solution can be used in photocatalytic hydrogen generators based on photolysis, wherein preferred methanol concentrations are up to 2%.

Example 2

Methanol Photodistillator Using Graphene as a Catalyst

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a device for producing methanol in a photocatalytic process. Suspension based on demineralized water subjected to CO.sub.2 saturation, wherein particles of flaky graphene are present, was placed in a transparent photocatalytic reactor 1. In suspension 2, graphene should preferably be as fragmented as possible (micrometric graphene particle size, most preferably graphene dots). The entire reactor is placed in a stable and thermally insulated body as a chemical reactor 3. The photocatalytic reactor 1 is most preferably arranged in the body 3 so as to obtain the smallest possible optical and thermal losses due to the mounting 4 system provided. Suspension 2 is exposed to the beam of light from the irradiation system 5 based on laser devices 6 (semiconductors, or Nd:YAG). The irradiator 5 system may be based on high-power LEDs 6A (LED/laser matrix) or halogen lighting (HID) 6B. The suspension can be irradiated from anywhere (from the bottom, from the side, from the top) depending on the target detailed design of the device. Using the optical fiber beam 7 connected to a dedicated optical system 8 (lens system) is preferred. Preferably, the water quantity level (suspension concentration) is replenished by a programmable pump 9 integrated with the tank. Oxygen is pushed out of the photoreactor through the carrier gas system 10 (Argon, CO.sub.2) from the gas installation 11. Methanol vapours generated in the photocatalytic process together with other gas products pass to the selective methanol condenser 13 with a degassing system 14. Methanol condensates are collected in the intermediate tank 15. Liquid methanol is received through a programmable valve 16 into a target tank 17 equipped with a pump.

[0027] Based on the above solution with an adapted fuel cell, it is possible to implement an electric current generator based on a PEM fuel cell powered from the methanol generated in the photocatalytic process by irradiating the suspension of CO.sub.2-saturated water and graphene.