Method and apparatus for continuous removal of water vapors from gases

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10307709-B2
Application number	US-201715410106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 19, 2017
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

A method for continuously removing water vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. This method includes, first, causing direct contact of the carrier gas with a liquid mixture in a separation chamber, the carrier gas condensing at a lower temperature than the water vapor. A combination of chemical effects cause the water vapor to condense, complex, or both condense and complex with the liquid mixture. The liquid mixture is chosen from the group consisting of: first, a combination of components that can be maintained in a liquid phase at a temperature below the water vapor's condensation point, whereby the water vapor condenses into the liquid mixture; second, a combination of components where at least one component forms a chemical complex with the water vapor and thereby extracts at least a portion of the water vapor from the carrier gas; and third, a combination of components that can both be maintained in a liquid phase at a temperature below the water vapor's condensation point, and wherein at least one component forms a chemical complex with the water vapor and thereby extracts at least a portion of the water vapor from the carrier gas. The liquid mixture is then reconstituted after passing through the separation chamber by a chemical separation process chosen to remove an equivalent amount of the water vapor from the liquid mixture as was removed from the carrier gas. The reconstituted liquid mixture is restored to temperature and pressure through heat exchange, compression, and expansion, as necessary, in preparation for recycling back to the separation chamber. The liquid mixture is then returned to the separation chamber. In this manner, the carrier gas leaving the exchanger has between 1% and 100% of the water vapor removed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for continuously removing water vapor from a carrier gas comprising:
contacting the carrier gas directly with a liquid mixture in a separation chamber, wherein the carrier gas condenses at a lower temperature than the water vapor;
wherein the liquid mixture is a mixture of water and a compound chosen from a group consisting of ionic compounds including potassium carbonate, potassium formate, potassium acetate, calcium magnesium acetate, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, lithium chloride, and calcium chloride;
condensing, complexing, or both condensing and complexing the water vapor with the liquid mixture to form a wet liquid mixture;
removing the wet liquid mixture from the separation chamber;
reconstituting the liquid mixture from the wet liquid mixture by removing an equivalent amount of water from the wet liquid mixture as was removed from the carrier gas;
restoring the liquid mixture to temperature and pressure through heat exchange and compression or expansion;
recycling the liquid mixture to the separation chamber;
whereby the carrier gas has had between 1% and 100% of the water vapor removed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of combustion flue gas, syngas, producer gas, natural gas, steam reforming gas, any hydrocarbon that has higher volatility than water, and light gases.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation chamber is a counter-current, direct-contact exchanger.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the separation chamber is a co-current, direct-contact exchanger.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein reconstituting the liquid mixture comprises a process selected from a group consisting of distillation, pressure-swing separation, liquid extraction, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, filtration, stripping, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the liquid mixture from the separation chamber comprises use of a cryogenic-style pump, the pump being chosen from the group consisting of centrifugal, piston, pressure-recovery, propeller, circulator, slurry, positive-displacement, diaphragm, progressive-cavity, screw, and vane pumps.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cryogenic-style pump has internal components made of materials resistant to acidic solutions.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cryogenic-style pump has internal components made of materials resistant to corrosive solutions.

9. A method for continuously removing water vapor from a carrier gas comprising:
contacting the carrier gas directly with a liquid mixture in a separation chamber, wherein the carrier gas condenses at a lower temperature than the water vapor;
wherein the liquid mixture is a mixture of water and a compound chosen from a group consisting of soluble organic compounds including ammonia, ethanol, and methanol;
condensing, complexing, or both condensing and complexing the water vapor with the liquid mixture to form a wet liquid mixture;
removing the wet liquid mixture from the separation chamber;
reconstituting the liquid mixture from the wet liquid mixture by removing an equivalent amount of water from the wet liquid mixture as was removed from the carrier gas;
restoring the liquid mixture to temperature and pressure through heat exchange and compression or expansion;
recycling the liquid mixture to the separation chamber;
whereby the carrier gas has had between 1% and 100% of the water vapor removed.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group consisting of combustion flue gas, syngas, producer gas, natural gas, steam reforming gas, any hydrocarbon that has higher volatility than water, and light gases.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the separation chamber is a counter-current, direct-contact exchanger.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the separation chamber is a co-current, direct-contact exchanger.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein reconstituting the liquid mixture comprises a process selected from a group consisting of distillation, pressure-swing separation, liquid extraction, reverse osmosis, forward osmosis, filtration, stripping, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein removing the liquid mixture from the separation chamber comprises use of a cryogenic-style pump, the pump being chosen from the group consisting of centrifugal, piston, pressure-recovery, propeller, circulator, slurry, positive-displacement, diaphragm, progressive-cavity, screw, and vane pumps.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cryogenic-style pump has internal components made of materials resistant to acidic solutions.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cryogenic-style pump has internal components made of materials resistant to corrosive solutions.

Assignees

• Baxter Larry
• Sayre Aaron
• Burt Stephanie
• Davis Nathan
• Sustainable Energy Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Baxter Larry
• Sayre Aaron
• Burt Stephanie
• Davis Nathan

Classifications

• B01D53/263 Primary

  by absorption · CPC title

• B01D5/0027

  by direct contact between vapours or gases and the cooling medium · CPC title

• B01D5/0087

  Recirculating of the cooling medium · CPC title

• C10L2290/12

  Regeneration of a solvent, catalyst, adsorbent or any other component used to treat or prepare a fuel · CPC title

• B01D5/003

  within column(s) · CPC title