US 12,459,811 B2
Process and system for generating a hydrogen product from hydrogen sulfide with microwave energy
Abdullah M. Alharith, Khobar (SA); Bader Alharbi, Dammam (SA); and Mohammed Alabdrabalnabi, Qatif (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on May 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/746,016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0373783 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. C01B 3/04 (2006.01); B01J 21/06 (2006.01); B01J 23/06 (2006.01); B01J 27/051 (2006.01); C01B 3/50 (2006.01)
CPC C01B 3/04 (2013.01) [B01J 21/063 (2013.01); B01J 23/06 (2013.01); B01J 27/0515 (2013.01); C01B 3/50 (2013.01); C01B 2203/0277 (2013.01); C01B 2203/1205 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A process for generating a hydrogen product from a feed gas stream comprising hydrogen sulfide, comprising the following steps:
(a) thermally decomposing hydrogen sulfide present in the feed gas stream into hydrogen gas and elemental sulfur in a thermal decomposition unit, the thermal decomposition unit comprising a reactor vessel with a porous susceptor disposed and retained therein and a microwave generation unit positioned and configured to deliver microwave energy to the porous susceptor, wherein thermally decomposing hydrogen sulfide in the thermal decomposition unit comprises:
(i) directing microwave energy from the microwave generation unit into the porous susceptor to raise the temperature of the porous susceptor to greater than 1,000° C.,
(ii) feeding the hydrogen sulfide present in the feed gas stream into the thermal decomposition unit via a gas inlet,
(iii) passing the hydrogen sulfide through the porous susceptor to thermally decompose the hydrogen sulfide and generate a thermal decomposition unit effluent comprising hydrogen gas and elemental sulfur, and
(iv) exhausting the thermal decomposition unit effluent from the thermal decomposition unit via a gas outlet;
(b) separating the thermal decomposition unit effluent into a sulfur fraction, a hydrogen rich fraction, and a hydrogen sulfide fraction, wherein the hydrogen rich fraction is comprised of at least 90% by volume hydrogen gas, the hydrogen sulfide fraction comprises unreacted hydrogen sulfide in the thermal decomposition unit effluent, and the sulfur fraction comprises sulfur produced from the splitting of the hydrogen sulfide, and wherein a gaseous phase comprising the hydrogen gas and the unreacted hydrogen sulfide after removal of the sulfur fraction is separated into the hydrogen rich fraction and the hydrogen sulfide fraction through pressure swing adsorption; and
(c) obtaining the hydrogen product from the hydrogen rich fraction, wherein the hydrogen product is comprised of at least 95% by volume hydrogen gas.