Gas treatment process and process arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12569799-B2
Application number	US-202218554588-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2022
Priority date	Apr 13, 2021
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

The present invention proposes a gas treatment process in which a process arrangement comprising three process units is used, the gas treatment process comprising subsequently operating a different one of the three process units in a heating mode during a heating phase, the heating mode comprising heating a first gas stream to a first temperature level using a first heat exchanger, introducing the first gas stream at the first temperature level to the process unit which is operated in the heating mode, withdrawing a second gas stream from the process unit which is operated in the heating mode, and thereafter cooling the second gas stream to a second temperature level using a second heat exchanger.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A gas treatment process in which a process arrangement comprising three process units is used, the gas treatment process comprising
subsequently operating a different one of the three process units in a heating mode during a heating phase, the heating mode comprising heating a first gas stream to a first temperature level using a first heat exchanger, introducing the first gas stream at the first temperature level to the process unit which is operated in the heating mode, withdrawing a second gas stream from the process unit which is operated in the heating mode, and thereafter cooling the second gas stream to a second temperature level using a second heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are operated in fluidic integration into a heat transfer arrangement operated using a heat transfer fluid, the heat transfer arrangement further comprising a heat transfer fluid heater, a first buffer vessel, a heat transfer fluid cooler and a second buffer vessel, an outlet of the heat transfer fluid heater being operated in permanent fluidic connection with an inlet of the first buffer vessel, an outlet of the first buffer vessel being operated in permanent fluidic connection with an inlet of the first heat exchanger, an outlet of the heat transfer fluid cooler being operated in permanent fluidic connection with an inlet of the second buffer vessel, and an outlet of the second buffer vessel being operated in permanent fluidic connection with an inlet of the second heat exchanger, in a first connection mode an outlet of the first heat exchanger is operated in temporary fluidic connection with an inlet of the heat transfer fluid heater while an outlet of the second heat exchanger is operated in temporary fluidic connection with an inlet of the heat transfer fluid cooler, and in a second connection mode the outlet of the first heat exchanger is operated in temporary fluidic connection with the inlet of the heat transfer fluid cooler while an outlet of the second heat exchanger is operated in temporary fluidic connection with an inlet of the heat transfer fluid heater.

2 . The gas treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer fluid is transferred from the first buffer vessel to the inlet of the first heat exchanger using a first pump and wherein the heat transfer fluid is transferred from the outlet of the second buffer vessel to the inlet of the second heat exchanger using a second pump.

3 . The gas treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first connection mode and the second connection mode is selected on the basis of a heat amount transferred in the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger by a control unit.

4 . The gas treatment process according to claim 1 , wherein while said one of the three process units is operated in the heating mode during the heating phase, a further one of the three process units is operated in a cooling mode during a cooling phase and a yet further one of the three process units is operated in an adsorption mode during an adsorption phase, each of the process units being cyclically operated in the heating mode, the cooling mode and the adsorption mode.

5 . The gas treatment process according to claim 4 , the cooling mode comprising introducing a third gas stream to the process unit operated in the cooling mode and withdrawing a fourth gas stream from the process unit operated in the cooling mode, and the adsorption mode comprising introducing a fifth gas stream to the process unit operated in the adsorption mode and withdrawing a sixth gas stream from the process unit operated in the adsorption mode.

6 . The gas treatment process according to claim 5 , the third gas stream being formed by using a part of a feed gas stream supplied to the gas treatment process, the first gas stream being formed by using at least a part of the fourth gas stream, the fifth gas stream being formed using a further part of the feed gas stream and at least a part of the second gas stream ( 2 ) cooled to the second temperature level, and a product gas stream withdrawn from the gas treatment process being formed using least a part of the sixth gas stream.

7 . The gas treatment process according to claim 6 , wherein
a temperature swing adsorption arrangement is used as the process arrangement, the temperature swing adsorption arrangement comprising three adsorption vessels as the three process units, the at least three adsorption vessels each containing one or more adsorbents, the fifth gas stream comprises at least one undesired component and at least one desired component, the at least one undesired component being at least in part adsorbed to the adsorbent(s) in the adsorption vessel in the adsorption mode, such that the sixth gas stream is depleted in the at least one undesired component and enriched in the at least one desired component, in the heating mode the at least one undesired component is at least in part desorbed from the one or more adsorbents in the heating mode using the first gas stream as a heating gas stream, such that the second gas stream contains at least a part of the at least one undesired component, and in the cooling mode the third gas stream is used as a cooling gas stream with which the adsorbent contained in the adsorption vessel operated in the cooling mode is cooled.

8 . The gas treatment process according to claim 4 , wherein the first temperature level is a temperature level from 80 to 350° C. and the second temperature level is a temperature level from 0 to 50° C. or a temperature level above a freezing or hydrate formation point.

9 . The gas treatment process according to claim 4 , wherein during a first time period during the heating phase the first connection mode is selected and wherein during a second time period subsequent to the first time period during the heating phase, the second connection mode is selected.

10 . The gas treatment process according to claim 9 , wherein a switching from the first connection mode to the second connection mode is performed on the basis of a temperature level of the second gas stream withdrawn from the adsorption unit that is operated in the heating mode and/or a temperature level of the fourth gas stream withdrawn from the adsorption unit that is operated in the cooling mode.

11 . The gas treatment process according to claim 9 , wherein the switching from the first connection mode to the second connection mode is performed as soon as the temperature level of the second gas stream withdrawn from the adsorption unit that is operated in the heating mode is higher than the temperature level of the fourth gas stream withdrawn from the adsorption unit (C) that is operated in the cooling mode.

12 . A process arrangement adapted to perform a gas treatment process, the process arrangement comprising a process unit, a first heat exchanger adapted to heat a first gas stream to a first temperature level, means adapted to introduce the first gas stream at the first temperature level to the process unit, means adapted to withdraw a second gas stream from the process unit, and a second heat exchanger adapted to cool the second gas stream ( 2 ) to a second temperature level wherein a heat transfer arrangement is provided into which the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are fluidly integrated, the heat transfer arrangement being operable using a heat transfer fluid, the heat transfer arrangement further comprising a heat transfer fluid heater, a first buffer vessel, a heat transfer fluid cooler and a second buffer vessel, an outlet of the heat transfer fluid heater being permanently f

Assignees

• Linde Gmbh

Inventors

• Deichsel Florian
• Ried Thomas
• Salazar Duarte Gabriel
• Pottmann Martin
• Kramer Verena
• Duval Emilie
• Förster Georg

Classifications

• C10L2290/542

  Adsorption of impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel · CPC title

• C10L3/101

  Removal of contaminants · CPC title

• B01D2259/65

  Employing advanced heat integration, e.g. Pinch technology · CPC title

• B01D2259/4006

  Less than four · CPC title

• Y02C20/40

  of CO2 · CPC title