Slurry droplet melting heat exchange

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10533812-B2
Application number	US-201715719016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for cooling a gas is disclosed. A slurry is passed through a droplet generating device to produce droplets of the slurry. The slurry comprises a contact liquid and solids. A melting point of the solids is higher than a vaporization point of the contact liquid. A carrier gas is passed across the droplets to exchange heat between the carrier gas and the droplets. At least a portion of the heat transferred to the droplets melts the solids.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method for cooling a gas comprising:
passing a slurry through a droplet generating device to produce droplets of the slurry, wherein the slurry comprises a contact liquid and solids, and wherein a melting point of the solids is higher than a vaporization point of the contact liquid;
passing a carrier gas across the droplets to exchange heat between the carrier gas and the droplets, wherein at least a portion of the heat transferred to the droplets melts the solids; and
wherein the droplet generating device comprises a drip tray, spray nozzles, a protrusion droplet generator, capillary tubes, or combinations thereof, the droplet generating device is installed in a direct-contact exchanger, the direct-contact exchanger comprises a counter-current, a co-current, or a cross-current flow relative to the droplets, and the contact liquid and melted solids are cooled through a heat exchanger, freezing the melted solids and forming the slurry.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact fluid comprises a mixture of a solvent and a compound, the solvent comprising water, hydrocarbons, liquid ammonia, liquid carbon dioxide, cryogenic liquids, or combinations thereof, and the compound comprising:
ionic compounds comprising potassium carbonate, potassium formate, potassium acetate, calcium magnesium acetate, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, lithium chloride, calcium chloride, or combinations thereof; or,
organic compounds comprising glycerol, ammonia, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, ethanol, methanol, hydrocarbons, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact liquid comprises water, hydrocarbons, liquid ammonia, liquid carbon dioxide, cryogenic liquids, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hydrocarbons comprise 1,1,3-trimethylcyclopentane, 1,4-pentadiene, 1,5-hexadiene, 1-butene, 1-methyl-1-ethylcyclopentane, 1-pentene, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene, 2-chloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, 2-methylpentane, 3-methyl-1,4-pentadiene, 3-methyl-1-butene, 3-methyl-1-pentene, 3-methylpentane, 4-methyl-1-hexene, 4-methyl-1-pentene, 4-methylcyclopentene, 4-methyl-trans-2-pentene, bromochlorodifluoromethane, bromodifluoromethane, bromotrifluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, cis 2-hexene, cis-1,3-pentadiene, cis-2-hexene, cis-2-pentene, dichlorodifluoromethane, difluoromethyl ether, trifluoromethyl ether, dimethyl ether, ethyl fluoride, ethyl mercaptan, hexafluoropropylene, isobutane, isobutene, isobutyl mercaptan, isopentane, isoprene, methyl isopropyl ether, methylcyclohexane, methylcyclopentane, methylcyclopropane, n,n-diethylmethylamine, octafluoropropane, pentafluoroethyl trifluorovinyl ether, propane, sec-butyl mercaptan, trans-2-pentene, trifluoromethyl trifluorovinyl ether, vinyl chloride, bromotrifluoromethane, chlorodifluoromethane, dimethyl silane, ketene, methyl silane, perchloryl fluoride, propylene, vinyl fluoride, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the solids comprise carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur trioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, water, hydrocarbons, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the carrier gas comprises combustion flue gas, syngas, producer gas, natural gas, steam reforming gas, light gases, refinery off-gases, acid gases, hydrogen cyanide, water, hydrocarbons, or combinations thereof wherein the acid gases comprise carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur trioxide, hydrogen sulfide, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein mass is exchanged between the carrier gas and the droplets.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the acid gases desublimate, freeze, condense, or absorb into the droplets.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact liquid and the melted solids are substantially immiscible near the melting point of the solids.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising separating the contact liquid and the melted solids through a liquid-liquid separator.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact liquid is more volatile than the melted solids and the contact liquid at least partially vaporizes into the carrier gas.

12. A method for cooling a gas comprising:
passing a slurry through a droplet generating device to produce droplets of the slurry, wherein the slurry comprises a contact liquid and solids, and wherein a melting point of the solids is higher than a vaporization point of the contact liquid;
passing a carrier gas across the droplets to exchange heat between the carrier gas and the droplets, wherein at least a portion of the heat transferred to the droplets melts the solids; and
wherein the droplet generating device comprises a drip tray, spray nozzles, a protrusion droplet generator, capillary tubes, or combinations thereof, the droplet generating device is installed in a direct-contact exchanger, the direct-contact exchanger comprises a counter-current, a co-current, or a cross-current flow relative to the droplets, the direct-contact exchanger comprises a spray tower, and the spray tower further comprises a bubbler section.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the spray tower comprises a plurality of horizontal stages, the droplets from a first stage collected and fed to a next stage.

14. A method for cooling a gas comprising:
passing a slurry through a droplet generating device to produce droplets of the slurry, wherein the slurry comprises a contact liquid and solids, and wherein a melting point of the solids is higher than a vaporization point of the contact liquid;
passing a carrier gas across the droplets to exchange heat between the carrier gas and the droplets, wherein at least a portion of the heat transferred to the droplets melts the solids; and
wherein the droplet generating device comprises a protrusion droplet generator, and the protrusion droplet generator comprises an opening through which a protrusion passes ending at a tip below the opening, the slurry passing through the opening and flowing along the protrusion, forming droplets that fall from the tip.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the protrusion is attached to a plate mounted above the opening or is attached to an interior side of the opening.

Assignees

• Baxter Larry
• Chamberlain Jacom
• Davis Nathan
• Hall Labs Llc

Inventors

• Baxter Larry
• Chamberlain Jacom
• Davis Nathan

Classifications

• F25J1/0022

  Hydrocarbons, e.g. natural gas · CPC title

• F28D2021/0075

  for syngas or cracked gas cooling systems · CPC title

• F28C3/08

  with change of state, e.g. absorption, evaporation, condensation (generating steam under pressure F22) · CPC title

• F28F23/00

  Features relating to the use of intermediate heat-exchange materials, e.g. selection of compositions (heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials C09K5/00) · CPC title

• F28C3/12

  the heat-exchange medium being a particulate material and a gas, vapour, or liquid · CPC title