Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT
Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT

Carbon2Chem® technical center

Technical implementation in real conditions

Carbon2Chem® pilot plant station in Duisburg, Germany
© thyssenkrupp Steel
Carbon2Chem® technical center in Duisburg.

The technical implementation of the concept is tested under real conditions in the Carbon2Chem® technical center. It offers 3700 m2 of space and is directly next to the thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG premises in Duisburg.

Laboratory 1

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  • Investigation of Clariant's industrial methanol synthesis catalyst with real gases from the metallurgical plant on a laboratory scale

    Aim

    Large-scale methanol synthesis based on metallurgical gases

    • Proof of catalyst performance and stability with alternative synthesis gases from metallurgical gases
    • Validation of the gas cleaning concept for synthesis gas production
    • Comparison between real and synthetic synthesis gases
       

    Application

    • methanol synthesis
       

    Technical specifications

    • Tubular reactor with electrical heating
    • stainless steel (ø 9 mm, 100 bar)
    • Real metallurgical gas
    • Artificial metallurgical gas
    • Dosing of pure CO2
    • Gas Chromatograph (FID/TCD)

Laboratory 2

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  • Testing of the Electric Swing Adsorption for the separation of minor components and recyclable materials from various metallurgical gases

    Aim

    Adsorptive treatment of metallurgical gases with subsequent regeneration of adsorbents using electricity

    • Separation of strongly adsorbed components
    • Utilization of electrical conductivity of activated carbon
    • Modification of non-conductive adsorbents
    • Efficient and low-gradient heating of the adsorbers

     

    Application

    • Reversible separation of strongly adsorbed minor components from exhaust gases
    • Efficient regeneration of adsorbents
    • Protection for other adsorption technologies

     

    Technical specification

    • Adsorber tanks, each with a volume of 35 L
    • Flow rate up to 6 Nm3/h
    • Desorption up to 350 °C
    • Simultaneous adsorption and desorption in two vessels

  • Investigation of different catalysts and process conditions in a non-thermal plasma

    Aim

    Deoxygenation of coke oven gas

    • Selective conversion of trace oxygen using non-thermal plasma
    • Determination of suitable reactor and generator configurations for an energy-efficient implementation
    • Analysis of the operating behavior in real coke oven gas
    • Evaluation of the scalability of the plasma technologies

     

    Application

    • Oxygen removal from gases with catalyst deactivating trace components
    • Off-gas cleaning under dynamic process conditions

     

     Technical specification

    • 2 plasma reactors (dielectric barrier discharge in the gas volume or on the electrode surface)
    • Flow rates up to 10 Nm³/h, pressures up to 5 barg, voltages up to 10 kV, frequencies from 4-500 kHz
    • Multi-channel analyzer for trace oxygen (electrochemical Pb/PbO2 sensor), CO, CO2, CH4 (infrared cells) and H2 (thermal conductivity detector)

Laboratory 5

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  • Laboratory 5 is a high-tech analysis laboratory to analyze the gases from gas processing before they are converted into raw materials by the project partners in other laboratories. The gas composition is determined down the smallest detail by a PTR-QiTOF-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Quadrupole interface-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometer) and by two micro GCs.


    Aim

    Continuous online measurement of the purified gases and identification of all main (% range), secondary (‰ to ppm range), and trace compounds (ppb to ppt level)

    • Identification of potential catalyst poisons at a ppb or ppt level
    • Quantification and monitoring of the time profiles of any critical components that may be present


    Application

    • Chromatographic determination of main and secondary components
    • Characterization of the trace components with three different primary ions (H3O+, NO+, and O2+)
    • Permanent monitoring of the purified gases to prevent any catalyst deactivation
    • Calibration of relevant substances
    • Long-term measurement campaigns to support the optimization of gas treatment
    • Parameter optimization (dilution factor, collision energy, pressure, temperature, etc.)


    Technical specification

    • Online gas chromatography via two micro GCs
    • Online trace analysis
    • A mobile analysis system with installed dilution apparatus (up to 1:1000 with N2)
    • Specially developed monitoring system to monitor critical components in real time

  • The HüGaProp (Hüttengas-Properties, metallurgical gas properties) containers are two containers, one of which is a laboratory container and the other a supply container. The trace components in the three raw metallurgical gases (coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, and basic oxygen furnace gas) are characterized in the laboratory container, whereas the supply container provides the gas supply to the analysis equipment. The main components are determined using a GC with FID/WLD, while the trace compounds are measured with a PTR-TOF-MS.


    Aim

    Continuous online measurement of the raw metallurgical gases and identification of all of the trace compounds contained in them

    • Identification of potential catalyst poisons at a ppb or ppt level
    • Quantification and monitoring of the time profiles of critical components


    Application

    • Characterization of the trace components with three different primary ions (H3O+, NO+, and O2+)
    • Chromatographic determination of main and secondary components
    • Calibration of relevant substances using a calibration gas generator
    • Long-term measurement campaigns
    • Parameter optimization (dilution factor, collision energy, pressure, temperature, etc.)


    Technical specification

    • Online gas chromatography (FID/WLD)
    • Online trace analysis (PTR-QiTOF-MS)
    • Dilution apparatus (three-pump system)
    • A calibration gas generator
    • Gas supply: H2, O2 (6.0), N2 (5.0 and 6.0), He, Ar, compressed air, coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, basic oxygen furnace gas
    • Split air conditioning system
    • Exhaust air system
    • Gas alarm system
    • UPS