Patent · US Expired

Process and device for the conversion of a greenhouse gas

US6045761A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
5References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 14, 1997
Grant dateApr 4, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 14, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P20/50
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

So that fuels can be produced efficiently from an undesirable greenhouse gas, the gas is subjected, together with a catalyst gas, preferably nitrogen or nitrous oxide, and a hydrogen-containing gas or vapour, to a silent electric discharge in a 1st reactor (4). In the process, excited or ionized atoms and/or molecules are formed which are converted, in a catalyst reactor (8) comprising a copper-containing 1st catalyst (8'), to H.sub.2 and possibly CO. Via an expansion valve (9), a liquid (13) separates from a fuel in a liquid vessel (11). Gases escaping from the liquid vessel (11) are passed over a thermal reactor (14) containing a 2nd catalyst (15) and expanded via an expansion valve (16). In a downstream liquid vessel (11') CH.sub.3 OH, for example, separates as the desired liquid fuel (13'). The 1st reactor (4) and the thermal reactor (14) may be combined in a container comprising a plurality of reaction chambers which are parallel to one another.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.