Combined Solids-Producing Direct-Contact Exchange and Separations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019099693-A1
Application number	US-201715724657-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2017
Priority date	Oct 4, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for separating a dissolved product from a liquid is disclosed. A carrier liquid is cooled in a direct-contact exchanger, the direct-contact exchanger using a liquid coolant to cool the carrier liquid. The carrier liquid comprises a dissolved product. The carrier liquid and the liquid coolant are substantially immiscible. A portion of the dissolved product is condensed, frozen, deposited, desublimated, or a combination thereof out of the carrier liquid as a solid product at a liquid-liquid interface between the liquid coolant and the carrier liquid. The solid product is entrained in the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, or a combination thereof. The solid product is separated from the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, or a combination thereof.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A method for separating a dissolved product from a liquid comprising:
cooling a carrier liquid in a direct-contact exchanger, the direct-contact exchanger using a liquid coolant to cool the carrier liquid, wherein the carrier liquid comprises a dissolved product, and wherein the carrier liquid and the liquid coolant are substantially immiscible; condensing, freezing, depositing, desublimating, or a combination thereof, a portion of the dissolved product out of the carrier liquid as a solid product at a liquid-liquid interface between the liquid coolant and the carrier liquid; entraining the solid product in the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, or a combination thereof; separating the solid product from the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, or a combination thereof.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier liquid is a slurry comprising an entrained solid product and the dissolved product deposits on the entrained solid product at the liquid-liquid interface.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the entrained solid product melts as the dissolved product deposits on the entrained solid product.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the entrained solid product is a same compound as the dissolved product, and wherein the entrained solid product is a solid form of the dissolved product.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the direct-contact exchanger further comprises a bubble contactor, a spray tower, a distillation column, or a combination thereof.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the direct-contact exchanger further comprises a carrier liquid inlet, a liquid coolant inlet, and a liquid outlet.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the carrier liquid enters the direct-contact exchanger through the carrier liquid inlet, the liquid coolant enters the direct-contact exchanger through the liquid coolant inlet, and the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, and the solid product exit the direct-contact exchanger through the liquid outlet.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein separating the solid product comprises:
passing the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, and the solid product through a liquid-liquid separator to produce:
a substantially pure carrier liquid and a slurry of the liquid coolant and the solid product; or,
a substantially pure liquid coolant and a slurry of the carrier liquid and the solid product; and,
passing the slurry through a solid-liquid separator separating out the solid product.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein separating the solid product comprises:
passing the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, and the solid product through a liquid-liquid separator to produce:
the carrier liquid and a slurry of the liquid coolant and the solid product with a portion of the carrier liquid entrained; or,
the liquid coolant and a slurry of the carrier liquid and the solid product with a portion of the liquid coolant entrained; and,
passing the slurry through a solid-liquid separator separating out the solid product.

10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the direct-contact exchanger further comprises a mixing section and a stilling section.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein cooling the carrier liquid comprises mixing the liquid coolant and the carrier liquid in the mixing section.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
passing the carrier liquid and liquid coolant from the mixing section into the stilling section; and, separating the carrier liquid and liquid coolant separate into layers.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising decanting the layers through separate outlets.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising passing the carrier liquid, the liquid coolant, or a combination thereof through one or more solid-liquid separators to separate out the solid product.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coolant and the carrier liquid comprise, respectively:
a polar compound and a non-polar compound; a non-polar compound and a polar compound; a first material and a second material, wherein the first material has a strong affinity for itself and a weak affinity for the second material; a first material and a second material, wherein the second material has a strong affinity for itself and a weak affinity for the first material; a first material of a first pure-component density and a second material of a second pure-component density, wherein the first pure-component density and the second pure-component density are substantially different; or, a combination thereof.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the dissolved product comprises carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur trioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, water, hydrocarbons, or combinations thereof.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid coolant comprises a mixture comprising a solvent and a compound from a group consisting of:
ionic compounds comprising potassium carbonate, potassium formate, potassium acetate, calcium magnesium acetate, magnesium chloride, sodium chloride, lithium chloride, and calcium chloride; and, soluble organic compounds comprising glycerol, ammonia, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, ethanol, and methanol.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the solvent comprises water, hydrocarbons, liquid ammonia, liquid carbon dioxide, cryogenic liquids, or combinations thereof.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the solid product comprises a density intermediate to densities of the carrier liquid and the liquid coolant.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid product is not wettable by the carrier liquid or the liquid coolant, the solid product forming a layer between, above, or below the carrier liquid and the liquid coolant.

Assignees

• Baxter Larry
• Davis Nathan

Inventors

• Baxter Larry
• Davis Nathan

Classifications

• B01J8/007

  by sedimentation · CPC title

• F28B3/04

  by injecting cooling liquid into the steam or vapour (F28B3/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D9/0009 Primary

  by direct heat exchange with added cooling fluid · CPC title

• F28B9/04

  for feeding, collecting, and storing cooling water or other cooling liquid · CPC title

• B01D2009/0086

  Processes or apparatus therefor · CPC title