System and method for integrated absorber intercooling via rich solvent stream using 3d-printed active packings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022105461-A1
Application number	US-202017064174-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 6, 2020
Priority date	Oct 6, 2020
Publication date	Apr 7, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an absorber column apparatus for removing a selected component of a gas. The apparatus may have a first zone, a second zone and a third zone, wherein the first and third zones form a first domain through which a first fluid laden with a select gaseous component to be removed therefrom flows along concurrently with a second fluid. The second fluid at least substantially removes the select gaseous component from the first fluid to create a third fluid. The first fluid leaves the absorber column as a fourth fluid with the select gaseous component at least substantially removed therefrom. The second zone forms an active packing zone including a structure which forms an independent second domain in thermal communication with the first domain. The second receives a quantity of the third fluid and channels it through the second zone to help cool at least one of the first and second fluids.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An absorber column apparatus for removing a selected component of a gas, the apparatus comprising:
a first zone, a second zone and a third zone; the first and third zones forming a first domain through which a first fluid laden with a select gaseous component to be removed therefrom flows concurrently with a second fluid, and wherein the second fluid operates to at least substantially remove the select gaseous component from the first fluid to create a third fluid, and wherein the first fluid leaves the absorber column as a fourth fluid having had the select gaseous component at least substantially removed therefrom; and the second zone forming an active packing zone including a structure which forms an independent second domain in thermal communication with the first domain, the second zone operating to receive a quantity of the third fluid and to channel the quantity of the third fluid through the second zone to help cool the at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third zones are contiguous.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second zone is arranged between the first and third zones.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third zones form a straight linear arrangement.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second zone comprises an additively manufactured packing structure.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the additively manufactured packing structure comprises a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure which operates to transfer heat from the first domain to the second domain.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second fluid comprises a solvent which is flowed in an opposite direction through the apparatus as the first fluid.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third fluid is input to the second zone at a first longitudinal end of the second zone, and withdrawn out from the apparatus at a second longitudinal end of the second zone.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth zone forming an additional active packing zone for further assisting in cooling at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second zone comprises between 1%-25% of an overall length of the apparatus.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second zone comprises approximately 10% of a total length of the absorber column.

12 . An absorber column apparatus for removing a selected component of a gas, the apparatus comprising:
a first zone, a second zone and a third zone; the first and third zones forming a first domain through which a first fluid laden with a select gaseous component to be removed therefrom flows along concurrently with a second fluid, and wherein the second fluid operates to at least substantially remove the select gaseous component from the first fluid to create a third fluid, and wherein the first fluid leaves the absorber column as a fourth fluid having had the select gaseous component at least substantially removed therefrom; and the second zone being arranged between the first and third zones and linearly in line with the first and third zones; and the second zone forming an active packing zone including a structure which forms an independent second domain in thermal communication with the first domain, the second zone operating to receive a quantity of the third fluid at a first longitudinal end, and to channel the quantity of the third fluid through the second zone to a second longitudinal end, to help cool both the first fluid and the second fluid.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the active packing structure comprises an additively manufactured structure.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the active packing structure comprise a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second zone comprises between 5%-25% of an overall length of the apparatus.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second zone comprises approximately 10% of a total length of the apparatus.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second fluid comprises a solvent.

18 . A method for removing a selected component of a gas using an absorber column, the method comprising:
flowing a first fluid laden with a select gaseous component through a first, second and third zones of the absorber column, in a first domain of the first, second and third zones; flowing a second fluid through the first domain of the first, second and third zones concurrently with the first fluid; using the second fluid to at least substantially remove the select gaseous component from the first fluid to thus create a third fluid, and wherein the first fluid leaves the absorber column as a fourth fluid having had the select gaseous component at least substantially removed therefrom; and causing at least a portion of the third fluid to be channeled into the second zone, wherein the second zone is comprised of a structure and material which forms an independent second domain in thermal contact with the first domain, by which heat from at least one of the first fluid and the second fluid is transferred to the third fluid to create a fourth fluid; and channeling the third fluid out of the second zone.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein flowing the first and second fluids through the first, second and third zones comprises flowing the first and second fluids through a second zone formed by an active packing material.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein flowing the first and second fluids through the active packing material comprises flowing the first and second fluids through an additively manufactured triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Moore Thomas Charles Reading
• Stolaroff Joshuah K

Classifications

• Y02C20/40

  of CO2 · CPC title

• B01D53/18 Primary

  Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor (B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32) · CPC title

• B01J2219/00105

  part or all of the reactants being heated or cooled outside the reactor while recycling · CPC title

• B01J2219/00159

  controlling multiple zones along the direction of flow, e.g. pre-heating and after-cooling · CPC title

• B01J2219/00076

  with heat exchange elements inside the reactor · CPC title