Multi-stage bubble column humidifier apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9745208-B2
Application number	US-201514679706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2015
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A downcomer apparatus for use in a multi-stage bubble column humidifier. The humidifier comprises at least a first, second and third stage, wherein each of said stages includes an inlet, an outlet and a chamber defined by said stage, in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet. In the humidifier, a heated liquid fluid stream flowing downwardly exchanges mass and heat with a cooler carrier gas stream flowing upwardly through the bubble column. A bubble generator comprising a perforated plate, or sparger, passes the carrier gas, such as air, from a lower chamber to form bubbles in a fluid, such as water, forming a bath on an upper chamber. An off-set arrangement of downcomer apparatuses, wherein said apparatus comprises a funnel, a watergate, and a downcomer, is used to prevent a recirculation of humid bubbles from the upper chamber to the lower chamber, thus preventing the air stream from circumventing the bubble generator in the form of the humid bubbles. This arrangement assures the maximum possible performance of the humidifier, as the entire air stream is forced to move through the bubble column, thus maximizing the air-water surface interface for an efficient mass and heat exchange.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus, comprising:
an external shell defining an interior region;
a plurality of horizontal porous structures defining pairs of adjacent vertical chambers within the interior region;
a carrier gas inlet;
a carrier gas outlet;
a liquid remnant outlet comprising a discharge siphon system;
a feed liquid inlet; and
a series of downcomer units wherein each pair of vertically adjacent chambers is in liquid communication via at least one downcomer unit;
wherein the vertical chambers within the interior region comprise at least a lowermost proximal chamber, an uppermost distal chamber and at least one mid-chamber between the proximal and distal chambers,
the lowermost proximal chamber comprises:
the carrier gas inlet; and
the liquid remnant outlet,

the uppermost distal chamber comprises:
the feed liquid inlet; and
the carrier gas outlet,

each downcomer unit comprises:
a funnel;
a watergate;
a base cup downcomer;

wherein a lower portion of the watergate is seated in the base cup downcomer and an upper portion is coupled to the funnel.

2. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the external shell comprises:
a column;
an upper plate; and
a lower plate;
wherein the upper plate and the lower plate are secured to the column with an embedded O-ring.

3. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the watergate is secured within a corresponding porous structure with an embedded O-ring.

4. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base cup downcomer is secured to a corresponding porous structure at a bottom of the lower vertically adjacent chamber with an embedded O-ring.

5. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base cup terminates at a point below a liquid level of any of the proximal, distal or mid chambers, and is configured to distribute a liquid from the watergate in an even-flowing pattern.

6. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base cup is configured to collect a sediment fraction of a liquid so as to prevent or reduce a fouling of a corresponding porous structure.

7. The multi-stage bubble column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid remnant outlet comprises a liquid discharge siphon system is configured so that no gas exits with remnant liquid.

8. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein in each vertical chamber, a width of each chamber is at least twice a height of the chamber wherein the width is defined by the horizontal distance of the external shell, and the height is defined by the vertical distance between adjacent porous structures.

9. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the funnel and the watergate are not contiguous with the external shell.

10. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the watergate is capable of being configured so as to lengthen or shorten a passageway of liquid communication between the vertically adjacent chambers.

11. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the funnel is configured to limit or eliminate entrance of a foam into a watergate.

12. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein each porous structure is one selected from the group consisting of a sieve plate, a radical sparger, a ring sparger, a spider sparger, and a wheel-type sparger.

13. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein a lower surface of each of porous structure comprises openings of a greater diameter as compared to openings of an upper surface of the porous structure.

14. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 wherein the downcomer units are arranged along a periphery of the distal, mid, and proximal chambers in a vertical, offset pattern, or juxtaposed relationship.

15. The multi-stage bubble-column humidification apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the feed liquid inlet is configured to be connected to a liquid source comprising at least one liquid selected from the group consisting of sea water, brackish water, flowback water, and water produced during an oil or gas extraction process.

16. A method of humidifying a gas in the multi-stage bubble: column humidification apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
transferring a mass and temperature from a liquid stream to a carrier gas stream via formation of two cross-flow streams comprising:
feeding a liquid steam comprising a vaporizable component into an uppermost distal chamber to form a distal-stage bath at a third humidification temperature;
feeding a first remnant of the liquid from the uppermost distal chamber into a mid-stage chamber to form a mid-stage bath at a second humidification temperature, wherein the second humidification temperature is lower than the third humidification temperature;
feeding a second remnant of the liquid from the mid-stage chamber into a lowermost proximal chamber of the multi-stage humidifier to form a proximal-stage bath at a first humidification temperature, wherein the first humidification temperature is lower than the second humidification temperature;
siphoning a third remnant of the feed liquid from the lowermost proximal chamber so as to assure that no gas is included in said third remnant;
introducing a gas into the lowermost proximal chamber at a point above the lowermost proximal-stage bath;
directing the gas directly from the lowermost proximal chamber into the mid-stage bath of the mid-chamber and bubbling the gas through the liquid remnant in the mid-stage bath, where the carrier gas collects the vaporizable component in vapor form from the second remnant of the feed liquid to partially humidify the carrier gas with the vaporizable component;
separating the mid-stage bath from the distal-stage bath by a top gas region in the mid-chamber filled with the partially humidified gas from the bubbling in the mid-stage bath prior to directing the partially humidified carrier gas directly from the mid-chamber into the distal-stage bath of the uppermost distal chamber and bubbling the gas through the distal-stage bath, where the gas collects more of the vaporizable component in vapor form from the liquid to further humidify the gas with the vaporizable component;
and
removing the humidified gas from the uppermost distal chamber.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising condensing the vaporizable component from the humidified carrier gas in a dehumidifier after the humidified carrier gas is removed from the distal chamber.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the vaporizable component is water.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the liquid stream is selected from the group consisting of sea water, brackish water, flowback water, and water produced during an oil or gas extraction process.

Assignees

• Univ King Fahd Pet & Minerals

Inventors

• Al-Qutub Amro Mohammad
• MUNTESHARI Obaidallah Mohammad

Classifications

• C02F2103/08

  Seawater, e.g. for desalination · CPC title

• B01D1/14

  with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid · CPC title

• B01D5/006

  with evaporation or distillation · CPC title

• B01D3/20

  Bubble caps; Risers for vapour; Discharge pipes for liquid · CPC title

• B01D3/346

  the gas being used for removing vapours, e.g. transport gas · CPC title