Patent EA-004897-B1 (EA)
Title: Method for utilizing gas reserves with low methane concentrations for fueling gas turbines
Inventor: MITTRICKER FRANK F
IPC: F02C3/22
Filed: 2000-12-13
Abstract: 1. A method for fueling a gas turbine with methane from natural gas reserves, the method comprising: mixing natural gas and hydrogen gas to provide a hydrogen enhanced methane gas blend and fueling a gas turbine with the hydrogen enhanced methane gas blend, characterized in that natural gas from natural gas reserves comprises not more than about 40 volume percent methane gas and enhanced methane gas blend comprises at least about 6 volume percent hydrogen gas. 2. The method as recited in claims 1, characterized in that the natural gas has less than about 35 volume percent methane and the hydrogen enhanced methane gas blend has from about 6 to about 10 volume percent hydrogen gas. 3. The method as recited in claims 1, characterized in that the natural gas has less than about 20 volume percent methane and the hydrogen enhanced methane gas blend has from about 6 to about 10 volume percent hydrogen gas. 4. The method as recited in claims 1, characterized in that, the method comprising: removing at least one acid component from natural gas reserves to provide a sweet natural gas mixing the sweet natural gas and water to provide a hydrated sweet natural gas, the water in the hydrated sweet natural gas; catalytically converting a portion of the methane in the hydrated sweet natural gas to hydrogen gas to provide a hydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas, dehydrating the hydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas to provide the flame stable dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas, which flame stable dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas and fueling the gas turbine with the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced gas. 5. The method as recited in claim 4, characterized in that the step of removing the at least one acid component from the natural gas reserves includes removing hydrogen sulfide from the natural gas reserves. 6. The method as recited in claim 5, characterized in that the hydrogen sulfide is removed from the natural gas reserves with a physical solvent while minimizing removal of any inert gas. 7. The method as recited in claim 6, characterized in that the physical solvent is selected from the group consisting of methanol; a blend of dimethyl ethers of polyethylene glycol, propylene carbonate, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone; a blend of oligoethylene glycol methyl isopropyl ethers, tri-n-butyl phosphonate, and methyl cyano-acetate and mixtures thereof. 8. The method for fueling a gas turbine as recited in any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas comprises at least 6 volume percent hydrogen gas. 9. The method for fueling the gas turbine as recited in any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that the step of catalytically converting the portion of the methane in the hydrated sweet natural gas to hydrogen gas includes using a catalyst selected from the group consisting of iron/chrome/copper, copper/zinc/aluminum and mixtures thereof. 10. The method as recited in claim 4, characterized in that the natural gas does not have more than about 35 volume percent methane and the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas comprises from about 6 to about 10 volume percent hydrogen gas. 11. The method as recited in claim 4, characterized in that the natural gas does not have more than about 20 volume percent methane gas and the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas comprises from about 6 to about 10 volume percent hydrogen. 12. The method as recited in claim 4, comprising: mixing the sour natural gas and water to provide a hydrated sour natural gas; mixing natural gas and hydrogen gas is further characterized by: catalytically converting a portion of the methane to hydrogen in the hydrated sour natural gas to provide a hydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas; dehydrating hydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas to provide the flame stable dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas; and fueling a gas turbine with the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas. 13. The method for fueling a gas turbine as recited in claim 12, characterized in that the hydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas comprises at least 6 volume percent hydrogen gas. 14. The method for fueling a gas turbine as recited in claim 12, characterized in that the methane in the hydrated sour natural gas is catalytically converted using a chrome/molybdenum catalyst. 15. The method as recited in claim 12, characterized in that the natural gas does not have more than about 35 volume percent methane gas and the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas comprises from about 6 to about 10 volume percent hydrogen gas. 16. The method as recited in claim 12, characterized in that the natural gas does not have more than about 20 volume percent methane gas and the dehydrated hydrogen enriched natural gas comprises from about 6 to about 10 volume percent hydrogen gas. 17. The method as recited in claim 4, characterized in that the method further includes injecting into the turbine an inert gas with the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas. 18. The method as recited in claim 12, characterized in that the method further includes injecting into the turbine an inert gas with the dehydrated hydrogen enhanced natural gas.