A new pathway to integrate novel coal-to-methanol system with solid oxide fuel cell and electrolysis cell

Considering the significant emissions associated with conventional coal-to-methanol (CTM) systems and the increasing demand for renewable energy consumption, this study proposes a novel scheme for CTM, which couples a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). The objective is to reduce coal consumption and carbon emissions. The proposed scheme involves introducing green hydrogen, enriching CO₂ concentration, and recovering it from exhaust gas. A system simulation model was developed using Aspen Plus/Aspen Custom Modeler software for the design and sensitivity analysis. The design results demonstrate that by utilizing green hydrogen produced through H₂O electrolysis in the methanol synthesis process, the coal consumption per unit of methanol production can be reduced from 1.26 kg/kg to 0.74 kg/kg. Moreover, by employing SOFC instead of conventional heat boiler system, the CO₂ concentration in CTM exhaust can be significantly improved from 9.11 % to 30 %, enhancing the efficiency of carbon separation. The inclusion of a CO₂ electrolysis process helps converting CO₂ into a part of methanol capacity and achieving zero-carbon emissions. The findings aim to provide a reference basis and theoretical guidance for the design, optimization, and integration of renewable energy sources into the novel coal-to-methanol system with solid oxide cells.