Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas

Parkinson, Brett; Matthews, Joshua W.; McConnaughy, Thomas B.; Upham, D. Chester; McFarland, Eric W.

doi:10.1002/ceat.201600414

Title: Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas

Abstract

Abstract Methane pyrolysis using a molten metal process to produce hydrogen is compared to steam methane reforming (SMR) for the industrial production of hydrogen. Capital and operating cost models for pyrolysis and SMR were used to generate cash‐flow and production costs for several different molten pyrolysis systems. The economics were most sensitive to the methane conversion and the value obtained for the solid carbon by‐product. The pyrolysis system at 1500 °C is competitive with a carbon tax of $78 t ⁻¹ ; however, if a catalytic process at 1000 °C were developed using a conventional fired heater, it would be competitive with SMR without a carbon dioxide cost penalty. Several pyrolysis alternatives become competitive with increasing carbon dioxide taxes.

Authors:

Parkinson, Brett ^[1]; Matthews, Joshua W. ^[2]; McConnaughy, Thomas B. ^[1]; Upham, D. Chester ^[3]; McFarland, Eric W. ^[4]

Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia)
Loughborough Univ. (United Kingdom)
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)
Univ. of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)

Publication Date:: Mon Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2017

Research Org.:: Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1533129

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1400609

Grant/Contract Number:: FG02-89ER14048; DEFG02‐89ER14048

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Chemical Engineering and Technology

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 40; Journal Issue: 6; Journal ID: ISSN 0930-7516

Publisher:: Wiley

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 03 NATURAL GAS; Engineering; Carbon tax; Hydrogen production; Methane pyrolysis; Natural gas conversion; Steam methane reforming

Citation Formats


                    Parkinson, Brett, Matthews, Joshua W., McConnaughy, Thomas B., Upham, D. Chester, and McFarland, Eric W. Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas.  United States: N. p., 2017. 
Web.  doi:10.1002/ceat.201600414.

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                    Parkinson, Brett, Matthews, Joshua W., McConnaughy, Thomas B., Upham, D. Chester, & McFarland, Eric W. Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ceat.201600414

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                    Parkinson, Brett, Matthews, Joshua W., McConnaughy, Thomas B., Upham, D. Chester, and McFarland, Eric W. Mon .  
"Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ceat.201600414.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1533129.

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@article{osti_1533129,

  title        = {Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas},

  author       = {Parkinson, Brett and Matthews, Joshua W. and McConnaughy, Thomas B. and Upham, D. Chester and McFarland, Eric W.},

  abstractNote = {Abstract Methane pyrolysis using a molten metal process to produce hydrogen is compared to steam methane reforming (SMR) for the industrial production of hydrogen. Capital and operating cost models for pyrolysis and SMR were used to generate cash‐flow and production costs for several different molten pyrolysis systems. The economics were most sensitive to the methane conversion and the value obtained for the solid carbon by‐product. The pyrolysis system at 1500 °C is competitive with a carbon tax of $78 t −1 ; however, if a catalytic process at 1000 °C were developed using a conventional fired heater, it would be competitive with SMR without a carbon dioxide cost penalty. Several pyrolysis alternatives become competitive with increasing carbon dioxide taxes.},

  doi          = {10.1002/ceat.201600414},

  journal      = {Chemical Engineering and Technology},

  number       = 6,

  volume       = 40,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Mon Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2017},

  month        = {Mon Feb 27 00:00:00 EST 2017}

}

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Works referencing / citing this record:

The pyrolysis of natural gas: A study of carbon deposition and the suitability of reactor materials
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Wang, Steven; Lee, Woo Jin; Li, Chao'en
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Upham, D. Chester; Agarwal, Vishal; Khechfe, Alexander
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Similar Records

Title: Techno-Economic Analysis of Methane Pyrolysis in Molten Metals: Decarbonizing Natural Gas

Abstract

Citation Formats

Dissociation of methane on different transition metals journal, December 1998

Dissociation of methane on different transition metals journal, December 1998

Development of methane decarbonisation based on liquid metal technology for CO2-free production of hydrogen journal, May 2016

Experimental investigation and thermo-chemical modeling of methane pyrolysis in a liquid metal bubble column reactor with a packed bed journal, November 2015

Competitive Cost Dynamics: The Experience Curve journal, October 1982

Fossil hydrogen with reduced emission: Modeling thermocatalytic decomposition of methane in a fluidized bed of carbon particles journal, August 2005

The effect of carbon tax on per capita CO2 emissions journal, September 2011

Organic chemistry of coke formation journal, April 2001

Organic chemistry of coke formation journal, April 2001

Techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production processes for the hydrogen economy for the short and medium term journal, November 2007

Induction pump for high-temperature molten metals using rotating twisted magnetic field: thrust measurement experiment with solid conductors journal, July 2002

H2 production from methane pyrolysis over commercial carbon catalysts: Kinetic and deactivation study journal, May 2009

A future for carbon taxes journal, March 2000

Catalytic decomposition of methane over carbon blacks for CO2-free hydrogen production journal, January 2004

A future for carbon taxes journal, March 2000

An economic survey of hydrogen production from conventional and alternative energy sources journal, August 2010

Autothermal catalytic pyrolysis of methane as a new route to hydrogen production with reduced CO2 emissions journal, August 2006

Techno-economic modelling and cost functions of CO2 capture processes journal, May 2007

Thermal cracking of methane in a liquid metal bubble column reactor: Experiments and kinetic analysis journal, July 2015

Hydrogen Production by Direct Contact Pyrolysis of Natural Gas journal, May 2003

CO2 -Free Production of Hydrogen by Catalytic Pyrolysis of Hydrocarbon Fuel journal, January 1998

Methane decomposition over Ni loaded activated carbon for hydrogen production and the formation of filamentous carbon journal, January 2007

Experimental analysis of direct thermal methane cracking journal, October 2011

The pyrolysis of natural gas: A study of carbon deposition and the suitability of reactor materials journal, December 2018

Hydrogenation of Inorganic Metal Carbonates: A Review on Its Potential for Carbon Dioxide Utilization and Emission Reduction journal, August 2018

Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon journal, November 2017

Dissociation of methane on different transition metals
journal, December 1998

Dissociation of methane on different transition metals
journal, December 1998

Development of methane decarbonisation based on liquid metal technology for CO2-free production of hydrogen
journal, May 2016

Experimental investigation and thermo-chemical modeling of methane pyrolysis in a liquid metal bubble column reactor with a packed bed
journal, November 2015

Competitive Cost Dynamics: The Experience Curve
journal, October 1982

Fossil hydrogen with reduced emission: Modeling thermocatalytic decomposition of methane in a fluidized bed of carbon particles
journal, August 2005

The effect of carbon tax on per capita CO2 emissions
journal, September 2011

Organic chemistry of coke formation
journal, April 2001

Organic chemistry of coke formation
journal, April 2001

Techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production processes for the hydrogen economy for the short and medium term
journal, November 2007

Induction pump for high-temperature molten metals using rotating twisted magnetic field: thrust measurement experiment with solid conductors
journal, July 2002

H2 production from methane pyrolysis over commercial carbon catalysts: Kinetic and deactivation study
journal, May 2009

A future for carbon taxes
journal, March 2000

Catalytic decomposition of methane over carbon blacks for CO2-free hydrogen production
journal, January 2004

A future for carbon taxes
journal, March 2000

An economic survey of hydrogen production from conventional and alternative energy sources
journal, August 2010

Autothermal catalytic pyrolysis of methane as a new route to hydrogen production with reduced CO2 emissions
journal, August 2006

Techno-economic modelling and cost functions of CO₂ capture processes
journal, May 2007

Thermal cracking of methane in a liquid metal bubble column reactor: Experiments and kinetic analysis
journal, July 2015

Hydrogen Production by Direct Contact Pyrolysis of Natural Gas
journal, May 2003

CO₂ -Free Production of Hydrogen by Catalytic Pyrolysis of Hydrocarbon Fuel
journal, January 1998

Methane decomposition over Ni loaded activated carbon for hydrogen production and the formation of filamentous carbon
journal, January 2007

Experimental analysis of direct thermal methane cracking
journal, October 2011

The pyrolysis of natural gas: A study of carbon deposition and the suitability of reactor materials
journal, December 2018

Hydrogenation of Inorganic Metal Carbonates: A Review on Its Potential for Carbon Dioxide Utilization and Emission Reduction
journal, August 2018

Catalytic molten metals for the direct conversion of methane to hydrogen and separable carbon
journal, November 2017