SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE MATERIAL USE OF HYDROGEN

Abstract

A system for the material use of hydrogen includes a transfer-hydrogenation facility with a transfer-hydrogenation unit for the hydrogenation of a material for hydrogenation and a hydrogen-provision device for the provision of hydrogen for the transfer-hydrogenation facility, where, via the hydrogen-provision device, hydrogen in bound form is provided for the transfer-hydrogenation facility, and the hydrogen-provision device includes a loading unit for the loading of a carrier medium with hydrogen.

Claims

1. A system for a material use of hydrogen comprising: a transfer-hydrogenation facility comprising a transfer-hydrogenation unit for hydrogenation of a material for hydrogenation; a hydrogen-provision device for provision of hydrogen for the transfer-hydrogenation facility, wherein, by means of the hydrogen-provision device, hydrogen is provided in bound form for the transfer-hydrogenation facility, and the hydrogen-provision device comprises a loading unit for loading a carrier medium with hydrogen.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a catalyst is provided in the transfer-hydrogenation unit in order to promote the hydrogenation by contacting the material for hydrogenation with the hydrogen provided in bound form.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the transfer-hydrogenation unit comprises a stirring device, wherein the catalyst is present as a suspension of a finely distributed, solid catalyst in a mixture of liquid carrier medium and material for hydrogenation.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-provision device comprises a carrier-medium storage unit for storage of loaded carrier medium.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-provision device comprises a hydrogen-generating unit for generating hydrogen.

6. A system according to claim 1, further comprising: a separating device connected with the transfer-hydrogenation facility for separation of a mixture of at least partially unloaded carrier medium and at least partially hydrogenated material for hydrogenation.

7. A system according to claim 8, wherein the separating device is constituted as a distillation device.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer-hydrogenation unit comprises at least one sensor for monitoring at least one process parameter.

9. A system according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit for controlling at least one process parameter, wherein the control unit is disposed in a signal connection with at least one sensor for monitoring the at least one process parameter.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-provision device is arranged in an energy-rich location, and the transfer-hydrogenation facility is arranged in an energy-poor location different from the energy-rich location.

11. A system according to claim 10, further comprising: a transport unit transporting the hydrogen provided by means of the hydrogen-provision device in bound form from the energy-rich location to the transfer-hydrogenation facility at the energy-poor location.

12. A method for a material use of hydrogen comprising the method steps: loading a carrier medium with hydrogen by means of a loading unit; provisioning the hydrogen bound to the carrier medium by means of hydrogen-provision device; hydrogenating a material for hydrogenation by means of a transfer-hydrogenation unit of a transfer-hydrogenation facility with use of the hydrogen provided in bound form.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising: contacting the material for hydrogenation with the hydrogen provided in bound form in a presence of a catalyst in the transfer-hydrogenation unit.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising: controlling at least one process parameter by means of a control unit.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising: separating a mixture of at least partially unloaded carrier medium and at least partially hydrogenated material for hydrogenation by means of a separating device connected with the transfer-hydrogenation facility.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein the hydrogen-provision device comprises a hydrogen-generating unit for generating elemental hydrogen.

17. A system according to claim 8, wherein the sensor is at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

18. A system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one process parameter comprises a control during the hydrogenation in the transfer-hydrogenation unit.

19. A system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is disposed in a signal connection with at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

20. A method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one process parameter comprises a control during the hydrogenation in the transfer-hydrogenation unit.

21. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of controlling comprises monitoring the at least one process parameter by means of at least one sensor disposed in signal connection with the control unit.

22. A method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor is in signal connection with at least one of a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In the drawings:

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a system according to the invention for the material use of hydrogen.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] A system illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 and designated as a whole with 1 serves for the material use of hydrogen, especially for hydrogenation. The system 1 comprises a hydrogen-provision device 2, which is connected to a transfer-hydrogenation facility 3 via a transport means 4. According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the transport means 4 is formed by a liquid tank, which can be transported, for example, by means of a ship. According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the hydrogen-provision device 2 is arranged at an energy-rich location. The transfer-hydrogenation facility 3 is arranged at an energy-poor location remote from the energy-rich location. The distance between the energy-poor and the energy-rich location can be several thousand kilometers.

[0035] The hydrogen-provision device 2 comprises a hydrogen-generating unit in the form of an electrolyzer 5 for the generation of hydrogen, especially of elemental hydrogen. The electrolyzer 5 is connected via a hydrogen line 6 to a loading unit 7. The loading unit 7 is part of the hydrogen-provision device 2. The loading unit 7 serves for the loading of a carrier medium with hydrogen which has been generated in the electrolyzer 5 from water. The loading unit 7 is connected via a carrier-medium line 8 to a carrier-medium storage unit in the form of a tank 9. The tank 9 serves for the storage of loaded carrier medium. The transport medium 4 is connected to the tank 9 via a liquid line. By means of the liquid line, loaded carrier medium can be pumped from the hydrogen-provision device 2, especially from the tank 9, into the transport medium 4 and accordingly to the transfer-hydrogenation facility 3. It is also conceivable that the tank 9 is not provided. In this case, the liquid line is connected directly to the carrier-medium line 8.

[0036] A current generating device 10 is connected to the hydrogen-provision device 2. The current generating device 10 serves for the generation of electrical current, which is required especially for the electrolysis in the electrolyzer 5. For this purpose, the current generating device 10 is connected via a current line 11 to the electrolyzer 5. The current generating device 10 can be a device which can generate electrical current from regenerative forms of energy. A current generating device 10 can also be a power transmission network, that is, especially a public power transmission network. Third parties can feed current into the power transmission network and remove it as required.

[0037] The transfer-hydrogenation facility 3 comprises a transfer-hydrogenation unit 14 which serves for the hydrogenation of a material for hydrogenation, especially toluene. The material for hydrogenation to be hydrogenated is stored, for example, in a hydrogenation-material store 12 which is disposed in fluid connection with the transfer-hydrogenation unit 14 via a hydrogenation-material supply line 13. The material for hydrogenation to be hydrogenated is supplied to the transfer-hydrogenation unit 14 via the hydrogenation-material supply line 13.

[0038] A temperature sensor 15 for detecting the process temperature and a pressure sensor 16 for detecting an internal pressure are provided in the transfer-hydrogenation unit 14. It is conceivable that further sensors, especially of the same type, are provided, for example, at different measurement locations within the transfer-hydrogenation unit 14 in order to minimize measurement errors. It is also conceivable that further sensors are provided to detect additional process parameters. In order to display the detected process parameters, that is, the process temperature and the process pressure, a display unit, not illustrated, can be provided, which is connected directly to the sensors 15, 16. According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the sensors 15, 16 are in bidirectional signal connection with a control unit 17 via signal lines 18. The control unit 17 is in bidirectional signal connection with components of the system 1, in each case via further signal lines 19. In particular, the control unit 17 is connected directly to the tank 9, to the loading unit 7, to the electrolyzer 5 and/or to the current generating device 10, in each case via a separate signal line 19.

[0039] A separating device 21 is connected to the transfer-hydrogenation facility 3 via a liquid line 20. The separating device 21 is used for the separation of a mixture of at least partially unloaded carrier medium and at least partially hydrogenated material for hydrogenation. The separating device 21 is connected via a carrier-medium line 22 to the loading unit 7. This means that at least partially unloaded carrier medium can be pumped back from the separating device 21 via the carrier-medium line 22 for the new loading in the loading unit 7. Alternatively, or additionally, a storage unit for the storage of the at least partially unloaded carrier medium can be provided, for example, along the carrier-medium line 22. It is also possible to transport the partially unloaded carrier medium from the separating device 21 by means of suitable transport means to a further location. In this case, the carrier-medium line 22 can be dispensed with.

[0040] For the removal of the at least partially hydrogenated material for hydrogenation from the separating device 21, a hydrogenation-material storage container 23 is provided, which is connected via a hydrogenation-material line 24 to the separating device 21. The hydrogenated material for hydrogenation is stored in the hydrogenation-material storage container 23. Un-hydrogenated material for hydrogenation can be separated in the separating device 21 and fed back via a hydrogenation-material feedback line 25 to the hydrogenation-material store 12.

[0041] In the following, the method for material use of hydrogen is explained in greater detail with reference to a first embodiment. The system 1 according to the invention serves for the catalytic transfer hydrogenation. As material for hydrogenation, 0.65 mol toluene is used, and 0.325 mol perhydro-mono-benzyl toluene is used as hydrogen source. The material for hydrogenation and the hydrogen source in the form of the carrier medium are contacted in each case with 0.000325 mol of a ruthenium catalyst supported on aluminum oxide and 0.000325 mol of a platinum catalyst supported on carbon. This mixture is heated for 24 hours at 240 C. In this context, an internal pressure develops in the reactor to which the partial pressure of the material for hydrogenation and a partial pressure of released hydrogen contributes. Under these conditions, the contribution of the hydrogen partial pressure is more than 3 bar. After the end of the reaction, the reactor contents are cooled, and the liquid products are analyzed by means of gas chromatography. The composition of the liquid products results in a degree of hydrogenation of the toluene of 10.4% and a degree of dehydrogenation of the carrier medium of 23.8%.

[0042] In the case of a method according to the invention according to a second embodiment, the material for hydrogenation, the carrier medium and the catalysts used are used in an identical manner to the first embodiment. The mixture generated in this manner is heated for a comparatively short period of 45 minutes to a higher temperature of 300 C. The pressure adjusted in this method, especially the contribution of the hydrogen partial pressure, is more than 5 bar under the named conditions. The composition of the liquid products results in a degree of hydrogenation of the toluene of 40.8% and a degree of dehydrogenation of the carrier medium of 53.8%.

[0043] The method according to the invention according to a third exemplary embodiment is based on the identical starting materials according to the first exemplary embodiment. By comparison with the first exemplary embodiment, the heating duration is only 30 minutes. The heating temperature is 350 C. The contribution of the hydrogen partial pressure is more than 5 bar. The composition of the liquid products results in a degree of hydrogenation of the toluene of 95.5% and a degree of dehydrogenation of the carrier medium of 99.2%.

[0044] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.