Slurry Droplet Melting Heat Exchange

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019093967-A1
Application number	US-201715719016-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 28, 2019
Grant date	—

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; and, 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.

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 droplet generating device comprises a drip tray, spray nozzles, a protrusion droplet generator, capillary tubes, or combinations thereof.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the droplet generating device is installed in a direct-contact exchanger.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the direct-contact exchanger comprises a counter-current, a co-current, or a cross-current flow relative to the droplets.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the contact liquid and melted solids are cooled through a heat exchanger, freezing the melted solids and forming the slurry.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the direct-contact exchanger comprises a spray tower, an absorption tower, a combustor, a prilling tower, a packed column, or combinations thereof.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the spray tower further comprises a bubbler section.

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

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein 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.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the protrusion is attached to a plate mounted above the opening or is attached to an interior side of the opening.

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

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising separating the contact liquid and the melted solids through a liquid-liquid separator.

20 . 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.

Assignees

• Baxter Larry
• Chamberlain Jacom
• Davis Nathan

Inventors

• Baxter Larry
• Chamberlain Jacom
• Davis Nathan

Classifications

• F28C3/12

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

• F28D2021/0024

  for combustion apparatus, e.g. for boilers · CPC title

• F28D2021/0075

  for syngas or cracked gas cooling systems · CPC title

• F28D20/025

  the latent heat storage material being in direct contact with a heat-exchange medium or with another heat storage material (F28D20/003 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D5/0027

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