Thermoelectric power generation and mineral extraction from brines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018269367-A1
Application number	US-201815982374-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	Sep 18, 2015
Publication date	Sep 20, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus that uses a brine from a well that is used to both generate electricity and recover valuable minerals present in the brine. The method and apparatus uses a hydrophobic membrane to separate water vapor from the brine to concentrate the brine that is then used to recover the minerals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for generating electricity and recovering a mineral from a brine comprising the steps of:
a) providing a first brine comprising water, silica, one or more polyvalent ions, and at least one mineral from a well, wherein the first brine has a temperature below about 300° C.; b) removing at least a portion of the silica from the first brine, thereby producing a second brine; c) removing at least a portion of the water from the second brine by passing water vapor generated from the second brine through a hydrophobic membrane, thereby producing a third brine, wherein the third brine has a higher concentration of the at least one mineral than the second brine; d) contacting at least a portion of the water vapor that passed through the hydrophobic membrane with a thermoelectric module, thereby generating electricity; and e) recovering at least a portion of the at least one mineral from the third brine.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one mineral comprises lithium, zinc, magnesium, or uranium, or a combination thereof.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the at least one mineral in the first brine is less than 0.1 wt %.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the first brine is from about 90° C. to about 190° C.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second brine has a silica concentration of less than 0.01 wt %.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises before step c) a step comprising removing at least a portion of the one or more polyvalent ions present in the first brine.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the at least one mineral in the third brine is from about 0.02 wt % to about 0.3 wt %.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric module is configured to operate with a hot side of at a temperature from about 100° C. to about 180° C., and a cool side of about 10° C. to about 80° C.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein recovering at least a portion of the at least one mineral from the third brine comprises extracting the at least one mineral from the third brine.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
a) a housing comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the housing comprises a bottom wall and an opposed top wall, wherein the bottom wall and the top wall are spaced apart relative to a vertical axis, wherein the first inlet and the first outlet are spaced apart relative to a longitudinal axis; b) a hydrophobic membrane positioned within the housing, wherein the hydrophobic membrane is positioned between the top wall of the housing and both the first inlet and the first outlet relative to the vertical axis; and c) a thermoelectric module positioned within the housing, wherein the thermoelectric module is positioned between the top wall and the hydrophobic membrane relative to the vertical axis.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the housing is in communication with a silica removal unit via the first inlet.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the housing is in communication with a mineral recovery unit via the first outlet.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the housing is in communication with a polyvalent ion removal unit via the first inlet.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the silica removal unit is in further communication with an second apparatus comprising:
a) a housing comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, wherein the housing comprises a bottom wall and an opposed top wall, wherein the bottom wall and the top wall are spaced apart relative to a vertical axis, wherein the first inlet and the first outlet are spaced apart relative to a longitudinal axis; b) a hydrophobic membrane positioned within the housing, wherein the hydrophobic membrane is positioned between the top wall of the housing and both the first inlet and the first outlet relative to the vertical axis; and c) a thermoelectric module positioned within the housing, wherein the thermoelectric module is positioned between the top wall and the hydrophobic membrane relative to the vertical axis.

15 . A method for generating electricity and recovering a mineral from a brine comprising the steps of:
a) providing a first brine comprising water, silica, one or more polyvalent ions, and at least one mineral from a well, wherein the first brine has a temperature below about 300° C.; b) removing at least a portion of the water from the first brine by passing water vapor generated from the first brine through a first hydrophobic membrane, thereby producing a fourth brine, wherein the fourth brine is at least about 5% more concentrated in total solids than the first brine; c) contacting at least a portion of the water vapor that passed through the first hydrophobic membrane with a thermoelectric module, thereby generating electricity; d) removing at least a portion of the silica and removing at least a portion of the one or more polyvalent ions from the fourth brine, thereby producing a fifth brine; e) removing at least a portion of the water from the fifth brine by passing water vapor generated from the fifth brine through a second hydrophobic membrane, thereby producing a sixth brine, wherein the sixth brine has a higher concentration of the at least one mineral than the fifth brine; and f) recovering at least a portion of the at least one mineral from the sixth brine.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises contacting at least a portion of the water vapor that was generated from the fifth brine and passed through the second hydrophobic membrane with a thermoelectric module, thereby generating electricity.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first brine has a temperature below about 190° C.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second brine has a temperature below 150° C. in step d).

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first hydrophobic membrane is a ceramic hydrophobic membrane.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second hydrophobic membrane is a polymeric hydrophobic membrane.

Assignees

• Southern Res Inst

Inventors

• Melsert Ryan
• Renew Jay

Classifications

• C01D15/08

  Carbonates; Bicarbonates · CPC title

• B01D2325/38

  Hydrophobic membranes · CPC title

• B01D15/12

  relating to the preparation of the feed · CPC title

• C01F5/00

  Compounds of magnesium · CPC title

• C02F2303/10

  Energy recovery · CPC title