Shell Oil Comapny

Thomas Mikus

Harold J Vinegar

Scott Lee Wellington

John Michael Karanikas

Brendan Dermot Murray

Eric Johannes Puik

Dean Chien Wang

Carlos A Glandt

Alexander Michiel Mollinger

Raul Valdez

Michiel Jan Groeneveld

Michael Zvi Golombok

Douglas Charlton McCammon

Johan Jacobus Van Dorp

Willem Van Vark

Eric Pierre De Rouffignac

Pettai Krishna Shankar

Mark A Beckemeier

Rashmi K Shah

John Michael Ward

Andreas Nikolaos Matzakos

Eric P DeRouffignac

A system and method for generating power, comprises providing a fuel stream and an oxygen stream to a magnetohydrodynamic generator so as to generate electric power and a first exhaust stream comprising COand water; and providing the first exhaust stream to an expansion generator so as to generate electric power and a second exhaust stream comprising COand water at a lower temperature and pressure than the first exhaust steam. The system and method may include the step of separating air upstream of the magnetohydrodynamic generator so as to generate the oxygen stream and may include the step of condensing the second exhaust stream so as to generate water and a wet COstream. The wet COstream may be condensed so as to generate water and a dry COstream, which may be stored underground.

Power plant with magnetohydrodynamic topping cycle

A system including a mechanism for recovering oil and/or gas from an underground formation, the oil and/or gas comprising one or more sulfur compounds; a mechanism for converting at least a portion of the sulfur compounds from the recovered oil and/or gas into a carbon disulfide formulation; and a mechanism for releasing at least a portion of the carbon disulfide formulation into a formation.

Systems and methods for producing oil and/or gas

System and methods for producing oil and/or gas

This invention relates to a method for providing controlled heat to a process utilizing a flameless distributed combustion. The method of the invention comprises providing an oxidation chamber, with an inlet for oxidant, an outlet for combustion products, and a flowpath between the inlet and the outlet; transporting fuel in a fuel conduit containing a plurality of fuel nozzles distributed along substantially the entire length of the oxidation reaction chamber, each nozzle providing communication from within the fuel conduit to the oxidation chamber, the fuel nozzles being spaced so that no flame results when the fuel is mixed with the oxidant flowing through the flowpath in the oxidation chamber; preheating the oxidant to a temperature at which when the oxidant and fuel are mixed in the oxidation chamber, the temperature of resulting mixture exceeds the autoignition temperature of said mixture; and conducting a process in a process chamber which is in a heat exchange relationship with the oxidation chamber, whereby a controlled heat flux is provided to the process chamber at a desired temperature profile and at a rate of heat flux sufficient to complete the process being conducted therein.

Method for providing controlled heat to a process

A process heater is provided utilizing flameless combustion, the process heater having: an oxidation reaction chamber, the oxidation reaction chamber having an inlet for oxidant, an outlet for combustion products, and a flow path between the inlet and the outlet; a fuel conduit capable of transporting a fuel mixture to a plurality of fuel nozzles within the oxidation reaction chamber, each nozzle providing communication from within the fuel conduit to the oxidation chamber, with each nozzle along the flowpath between the inlet and the outlet; a preheater in communication with the oxidation chamber inlet, the preheater capable of increasing the temperature of the oxidant to a temperature resulting in the combined oxidant and fuel from the fuel nozzle closest to the oxidation chamber inlet being greater than the autoignition temperature of the combined oxidant and fuel from the fuel nozzle closest to the oxidation chamber inlet; and a process chamber in a heat exchange relationship to the oxidation reaction chamber wherein the heat transferred from the oxidation section does not causes the temperature of the mixture within the oxidation reaction chamber in the vicinity of each fuel nozzle to decrease below the auto ignition temperature of the combined mixture in the oxidation chamber in the vicinity of that fuel nozzle.

Flameless combustor process heater

Disclosed is a new process and apparatus for steam reforming of any vaporizable hydrocarbon to produce H and CO , with minimal CO, and no CO in the H stream, using a membrane steam reforming (MSR) reactor and flameless distributed combustion (FDC) which provides great improvements in heat exchange efficiency and load following capabilities to drive the steam reforming reaction. The invention also pertains to a zero emission hybrid power system wherein the produced hydrogen is used to power a high-pressure molten carbonate fuel cell. In addition, the design of the FDC-MSR powered fuel cell makes it possible to capture good concentrations of CO for sequestration or use in other processes.

Integrated flameless distributed combustion/steam reforming membrane reactor for hydrogen production and use thereof in zero emissions hybrid power system

A combustor method and apparatus is provided. The method utilizes flameless combustion with one or more of three improvements to enhance ignition of the flameless combustor. A catalytic surface can be provided within a combustion chamber to provide flameless combustion at least in the vicinity of the catalytic surface at a temperature that is much lower than the autoignition temperature of fuel in air without the presence of the catalytic surface. Nitrous oxide or supplemental oxygen may also be used as an oxidant either instead of air or with air to reduce ignition temperatures. Further, electrical energy can be passed through the fuel conduit, raising the temperature of the conduit to a temperature above which the fuel will ignite when combined with the oxidant.

Method for ignition of flameless combustor

A method and apparatus is disclosed for heating of formations using fired heaters. The method includes the steps of: providing a wellbore within the formation to be heated, the wellbore comprising a casing within the formation to be heated, a tubular defining, in the inside of the tubular, a flowpath for hot gases from the surface to a point in the wellbore near the bottom of the formation to be heated, and a volume between the tubular and the casing providing a flowpath for hot gases from near the bottom of the formation to be heated to the top of the formation to be heated, wherein the flowpaths are in communication with each other near the bottom of the formation to be heated and the volume between the casing and the tubular at the top of the formation to be heated is in communication with a point above the surface, and insulation for a portion of the length of the wellbore within the formation to be heated between the flowpath for hot gases from the surface to the point in the wellbore near the bottom of the formation to be heated and the flowpath for hot gases from near the bottom of the formation to be heated to the surface; and supplying a flow of hot gases to the flowpath for hot gases from the surface to a point in the wellbore near the bottom of the formation to be heated.

Heater well method and apparatus

A method and apparatus is disclosed for heating of formations using fired heaters. Each fired heater may consist of two concentric tubulars emplaced in the formation, connected via a wellhead to a burner at the surface. Combustion gases from the burner go down to the bottom of the inner tubular and return to the surface in the annular space between the two tubulars. The two tubulars may be insulated in an overburden zone where heating is not desired. A plurality of fired heaters can be connected together such that the combustion gases from a first fired heater well are piped through insulated interconnect piping to become the air inlet for a second fired heater well, which also has a burner at its wellhead. This can be repeated for other heater wells, until the oxygen content of the combustion gas is reduced near zero. The combustion gas from the last fired heater well may be routed through a heat exchanger in which the fresh inlet air for the first heater well is preheated. A substantially uniform temperature is maintained in each heater well by using a high mass flow into the heater well.

Flameless combustor

A combustor method and apparatus is provided. The method utilizes flameless combustion. The absence of a flame eliminates the flame as a radiant heat source and results in a more even temperature distribution throughout the length of the burner. Flameless combustion is accomplished by preheating the fuel and the combustion air to a temperature above the autoignition temperature of the mixture. The present invention lowers the autoignition temperature by placing a catalytic surface within the desired combustion chamber. Temperatures are maintained above the catalyzed autoignition temperature but less than the noncatalyzed autoignition temperatures for noncatalyzed reaction. Thus, the amount and location of reaction can be controlled by varying the amount and distribution of catalyst within the burner. Removing heat from the combustion chamber in amounts that correspond to the oxidation of fuel within different segments of the combustion chamber can result in low temperatures and relatively even distribution of heat from the burner.

A method for heat injection into a subterranean formation is provided. The method utilizes flameless combustion and a gas fired heater having an electrical heated surface for ignition of the gas. The absence of a flame eliminates the flame as a radiant heat source and results in a more even temperature distribution throughout the length of the burner. Flameless combustion is accomplished by preheating the fuel and the combustion air to a temperature above the autoignition temperature of the mixture. Preheating hydrocarbon fuel requires the inclusion of a carbon formation suppressant such as carbon dioxide or steam to prevent carbon formation.

Heat injection process and apparatus

A process to recover oil is provided wherein an oil containing subterranean formation is heated by conductive heat transfer. The high temperature levels of this process result in high recoveries of initial oil in place, and recovery of the oil within a short time period. This process is particularly applicable to diatomite formations that have low permeabilities.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Thomas Mikus