Methods and systems for capturing carbon dioxide from dilute sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387433-B2
Application number	US-201213983313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2012
Priority date	Feb 4, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for capturing carbon dioxide from dilute sources are disclosed. In some embodiments, the methods include the following: (a) directing a first substantially gaseous stream including a first amount of carbon dioxide to a primary scrubber; (b) in the primary scrubber, removing a portion of the first amount of carbon dioxide thereby forming a second substantially gaseous stream including a second amount of carbon dioxide; (c) directing the second substantially gaseous stream to a secondary scrubber; (d) in the secondary scrubber, removing a portion of the second amount of carbon dioxide thereby forming a third substantially gaseous stream; (e) mixing substantially all of the portion of the second amount of carbon dioxide removed in step (d) with the first substantially gaseous stream before it enters the primary scrubber; and (f) repeating steps (a) thru (e).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for capturing carbon dioxide from dilute sources, said system comprising:
a sorbent wetting and primary unloading unit including a first amount of a secondary sorbent, a supply of water, an inlet for receiving a wet flue gas stream that includes a first amount of carbon dioxide, an inlet for receiving a second amount of said secondary sorbent, an inlet for receiving water from said supply of water, an outlet for transferring said secondary sorbent after it is wetted with water from said supply of water, and an outlet for releasing said wet flue gas stream containing a second amount of carbon dioxide that includes said first amount of carbon dioxide and carbon dioxide unloaded from said secondary sorbent;
a conventional primary sorbent unit in fluid communication with said sorbent wetting and primary unloading unit, said conventional primary sorbent unit including a primary sorbent for removing a substantial portion of said second amount of carbon dioxide from said wet flue gas stream that is received from said sorbent wetting and primary unloading unit;
drying units in fluid communication with said conventional primary sorbent unit for substantially drying said wet flue gas stream;
a secondary sorbent unit in fluid communication with said drying units, said secondary sorbent unit including said second amount of said secondary sorbent for removing substantially all of a remaining portion of carbon dioxide in said wet flue gas stream received from said drying units; and
a conduit for transferring said second amount of said secondary sorbent loaded with carbon dioxide from said secondary sorbent unit to said sorbent wetting and primary unloading unit.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an exhaust stack in fluid communication with said secondary sorbent unit.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a primary sorbent regeneration unit in fluid communication with said conventional primary sorbent unit.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a secondary sorbent regeneration unit in fluid communication with said sorbent wetting and primary unloading unit and said secondary sorbent unit.

5. The system of claim 4 , said sorbent regeneration unit comprising:
a rinsing station including a supply of rinsing fluid; and
a rinsing fluid regeneration station including an electrodialytic salt splitter device.

6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a secondary unloading unit in fluid communication with said primary unloading unit and said conventional primary sorbent unit.

7. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a sorbent drying unit in fluid communication with said secondary unloading unit, at least one of said drying units, and said secondary sorbent unit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said secondary sorbent is an anionic exchange resin.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said anionic exchange resin a quaternary amine.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said primary sorbent includes a monoethanolamine solution.

11. A method for capturing carbon dioxide from dilute sources, said method comprising:
directing wet flue gas stream A, which includes a first amount of carbon dioxide, to a first sorbent unload chamber, said first sorbent unload chamber including a first amount of a first sorbent containing a second amount of carbon dioxide;
wetting said first sorbent in said first sorbent unload chamber to release a first portion of said second amount of carbon dioxide contained in said first sorbent, which mixes with said first amount of carbon dioxide to form wet flue gas stream B;
transferring said first sorbent to a second sorbent unload chamber;
releasing a second portion of said second amount of carbon dioxide contained in said first sorbent;
mixing said second portion of said second amount of carbon dioxide with said wet flue gas stream B to form wet flue gas stream B2;
directing wet flue gas stream B2 to a conventional carbon dioxide sorbent unit having a second sorbent thereby collecting a portion of carbon dioxide and forming a wet flue gas stream C;
drying wet flue gas stream C to form a wet flue gas stream D, which includes a third amount of carbon dioxide;
directing wet flue gas stream D to a secondary carbon dioxide sorbent unit including a second amount of said first sorbent thereby removing a portion of said third amount of carbon dioxide and forming a wet flue gas stream E;
exhausting said wet flue gas stream E from said system;
transferring said second amount of said first sorbent to said first sorbent unload chamber;
drying said first amount of said first sorbent transferred to said second sorbent unload chamber;
transferring said dried first amount of said first sorbent to said secondary carbon dioxide sorbent unit; and
regenerating said second sorbent and collecting a portion of carbon dioxide contained therein.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
regenerating said first sorbent.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said first sorbent is an anionic exchange resin.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said anionic exchange resin a quaternary amine.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said second sorbent includes a monoethanolamine solution.

16. A method for capturing carbon dioxide from dilute sources, said method comprising:
(a) directing a first substantially gaseous stream including a first amount of carbon dioxide to a primary scrubber;
(b) in said primary scrubber, removing a portion of said first amount of carbon dioxide thereby forming a second substantially gaseous stream including a second amount of carbon dioxide;
(c) directing said second substantially gaseous stream to a secondary scrubber;
(d) in said secondary scrubber, removing a portion of said second amount of carbon dioxide thereby forming a third substantially gaseous stream;
(e) mixing substantially all of said portion of said second amount of carbon dioxide removed in step (d) with said first substantially gaseous stream before it enters said primary scrubber; and
(f) repeating steps (a) thru (e).

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein removing in steps (b) and (d) include absorbing carbon dioxide into sorbents.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
regenerating said sorbents; and
collecting carbon dioxide contained in said sorbents.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein regenerating includes wetting and drying said sorbents.

20. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
exhausting said third substantially gaseous stream to atmosphere.

Assignees

• Lackner Klaus
• Wright Allen
• Univ Columbia

Inventors

• Lackner Klaus
• Wright Allen

Classifications

• B01D53/261

  by adsorption · CPC title

• B01D2257/504

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01D53/1475

  Removing carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01D53/75

  Multi-step processes · CPC title

• B01D2252/204

  Amines · CPC title