Method and device for condensing a first fluid rich in carbon dioxide using a second fluid
First Claim
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1. A process for condensing a first fluid using an ammonia refrigerant, wherein the first fluid is rich in carbon dioxide, the process comprising the steps of:
- expanding the ammonia refrigerant in an expander to form a two phase ammonia refrigerant;
introducing the two phase ammonia refrigerant to a phase separator under conditions effective to separate the two phase ammonia refrigerant into a gaseous portion and a liquid portion;
withdrawing the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant from the phase separator;
introducing the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant to a heat exchanger;
exchanging heat between the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant and the first fluid in the heat exchanger under conditions effective to at least partially condense the first fluid and to fully vaporize the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant, thereby forming an at least partially condensed first fluid and a vaporized ammonia refrigerant, wherein the first fluid is rich in carbon dioxide; and
mixing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant outside of the phase separator to form a single phase mixture,wherein the first fluid originates at least partly from the top of a distillation column and the at least partially condensed first fluid is sent to the top of the distillation column,wherein the process further comprises an absence of a step selected from the group consisting of;
cooling the vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the step of mixing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant, compressing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the step of mixing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant, and combinations thereof,wherein the phase separator is sized solely for separating the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant from the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant,wherein the ratio between the total volume of the ammonia refrigerant in the phase separator and the flow rate of the ammonia refrigerant at the inlet to the phase separator is between 0.01 and 0.05 L·
h/Nm3,wherein the first fluid comprises a first gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide and a second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide, wherein the first gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide originates from the top of the distillation column, wherein the second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide does not originate from the distillation column,wherein the ratio between the capacity of the heat exchanger and the flow rate of the ammonia refrigerant at the inlet to the phase separator is between 0.13 and 0.55 kW·
h/Nm3,wherein the second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide is at a superheated temperature in an amount effective to entirely superheat the resulting vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the vaporized ammonia refrigerant exiting an outlet of the heat exchanger.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a process and device for condensing a first fluid rich in carbon dioxide using a second fluid.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A process for condensing a first fluid using an ammonia refrigerant, wherein the first fluid is rich in carbon dioxide, the process comprising the steps of:
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expanding the ammonia refrigerant in an expander to form a two phase ammonia refrigerant; introducing the two phase ammonia refrigerant to a phase separator under conditions effective to separate the two phase ammonia refrigerant into a gaseous portion and a liquid portion; withdrawing the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant from the phase separator; introducing the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant to a heat exchanger; exchanging heat between the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant and the first fluid in the heat exchanger under conditions effective to at least partially condense the first fluid and to fully vaporize the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant, thereby forming an at least partially condensed first fluid and a vaporized ammonia refrigerant, wherein the first fluid is rich in carbon dioxide; and mixing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant outside of the phase separator to form a single phase mixture, wherein the first fluid originates at least partly from the top of a distillation column and the at least partially condensed first fluid is sent to the top of the distillation column, wherein the process further comprises an absence of a step selected from the group consisting of;
cooling the vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the step of mixing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant, compressing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the step of mixing the vaporized ammonia refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant, and combinations thereof,wherein the phase separator is sized solely for separating the liquid portion of the ammonia refrigerant from the gaseous portion of the ammonia refrigerant, wherein the ratio between the total volume of the ammonia refrigerant in the phase separator and the flow rate of the ammonia refrigerant at the inlet to the phase separator is between 0.01 and 0.05 L·
h/Nm3,wherein the first fluid comprises a first gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide and a second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide, wherein the first gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide originates from the top of the distillation column, wherein the second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide does not originate from the distillation column, wherein the ratio between the capacity of the heat exchanger and the flow rate of the ammonia refrigerant at the inlet to the phase separator is between 0.13 and 0.55 kW·
h/Nm3,wherein the second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide is at a superheated temperature in an amount effective to entirely superheat the resulting vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the vaporized ammonia refrigerant exiting an outlet of the heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7)
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3. A process for condensing a first fluid using a refrigerant, wherein the first fluid is rich in carbon dioxide, and the refrigerant comprises a single refrigerant of ammonia, the process comprising the steps of:
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expanding the refrigerant in an expander to form a two phase refrigerant; introducing the two phase refrigerant to a phase separator under conditions effective to separate the two phase refrigerant into a gaseous portion and a liquid portion; introducing the gaseous portion of the refrigerant to a mixing zone; introducing the liquid portion of the refrigerant to a heat exchanger; introducing a first gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide into a first fluid mixing zone, wherein the first gaseous fraction originates from a top portion of a distillation column; introducing a second gaseous fraction into the first fluid mixing zone in the presence of the first gaseous fraction to form the first fluid, wherein the second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide originates from a source not comprising the distillation column; introducing the first fluid from the first fluid mixing zone to the heat exchanger; exchanging heat between the liquid portion of the refrigerant and the first fluid in the heat exchanger under conditions effective to partially condense the first fluid and to fully vaporize the liquid portion of the refrigerant, thereby forming a partially condensed first fluid and a vaporized refrigerant; mixing the vaporized refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the refrigerant downstream of the phase separator to form a single phase mixture; separating the partially condensed first fluid into a liquid phase and a gaseous phase; introducing the liquid phase of the partially condensed first fluid from the heat exchanger into the top portion of the distillation column; and recovering the gaseous phase of the partially condensed first fluid, wherein the process further comprises an absence of a step selected from the group consisting of;
cooling the vaporized refrigerant prior to the step of mixing the vaporized refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the refrigerant, compressing the vaporized refrigerant prior to the step of mixing the vaporized refrigerant with the gaseous portion of the refrigerant, and combinations thereof,wherein the ratio between the total volume of the liquid portion of the refrigerant in the phase separator and the flow rate of the liquid portion of the refrigerant at the inlet to the phase separator is between 0.005 and 0.03 L·
h/Nm3,wherein the phase separator is sized solely for separating the liquid portion of the two phase refrigerant from the gaseous portion of the two phase refrigerant generated by the expansion of the refrigerant, wherein the ratio between the capacity of the heat exchanger and the flow rate of the ammonia refrigerant at the inlet to the phase separator is between 0.13 and 0.55 kW·
h/Nm3,wherein the second gaseous fraction rich in carbon dioxide is at a superheated temperature in an amount effective to entirely superheat the resulting vaporized ammonia refrigerant prior to the vaporized ammonia refrigerant exiting an outlet of the heat exchanger. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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Specification