Capturing carbon dioxide

• US 10,421,039 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbon Engineering ULC (Occidental Petroleum Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carbon Engineering, Ltd. (Occidental Petroleum Corporation)
• Inventors: Heidel, Kenton Robert, Holmes, Geoffrey James, Keith, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US15/622,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 261 94, 261 97, 261110, 96290
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/304 of sodium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/306 of potassium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/404 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/604 Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/103 Water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/0233 from cement factories
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/0283 Flue gases
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/06 Polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 47/14 Packed scrubbers packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1475 Removing carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/18 Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/77 Liquid phase processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/78 with gas-liquid contact
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/96 Regeneration, reactivation or recycling of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/20 Mixing gases with liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 1/003 comprising outlet ducts for exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 1/04 with cross-current only
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 25/02 for distributing, circulating, and accumulating liquid spraying or atomising in general B05B, B05D
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 25/06 : Spray nozzles or spray pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 25/10 : for feeding gas or vapour
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 : Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 : Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2

Abstract

Techniques for distributing a liquid in a liquid-gas system include flowing a liquid into a system of nozzles and basin of the liquid-gas contacting system; and operating the nozzles and basin system with a distribution sub-assembly configured to operate the nozzles under a plurality of liquid flow rates and maintaining a consistent spatial liquid distribution of the liquid within the distribution sub-assembly at the plurality of liquid flow rates.

Claims

1. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, the distribution sub-assembly comprising;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height and a first nozzle design specific to a first flow rate; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height and a second nozzle design specific to a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nozzle and basin system is configured to accommodate a plurality of liquid levels.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of nozzles and the second portion of nozzles are distributed within the basin.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of nozzles are paired with the second portion of nozzles and the pairs are distributed as sets within the basin.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of nozzles are distributed within a center portion of the basin and the second portion of nozzles are evenly distributed within the basin.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first portion of nozzles are distributed within the portion of the basin located opposite to a liquid inlet port.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distribution sub-assembly is configured to receive a liquid flowing at one of the plurality of liquid flow rates, the plurality of liquid flow rates comprising at least one of a flush flow rate or a pulse flow rate, and at least the first portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the flush flow rate, and at least the second portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the pulse flow rate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the distribution sub-assembly is fluidly coupled to at least a portion of packing material of the liquid-gas contactor system, and at least a portion of the first portion of nozzles and second portion of nozzles are configured to distribute a liquid flow to the packing material of up to 7 liters per second per square meter of packing material.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein pulse flow rates of the liquid are 10 percent of flush flow rates of the liquid.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the distribution sub-assembly comprises a first quantity of the first portion of nozzles and a second quantity of the second portion of nozzles.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein both the first and second quantities of the respective first and second portions of nozzles are evenly distributed within a complete surface area of a basin of the nozzle and basin system.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a center area of a basin of the nozzle and basin system comprises a first density of the first portion of nozzles and a perimeter area of the basin comprises a second density of the first portion of nozzles less than the first density.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the center area of the basin of the nozzle and basin system comprises a first density of the second portion of nozzles and the perimeter area of the basin comprises a second density of the second portion of nozzles greater than the first density.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein an area of a basin of the nozzle and basin system adjacent to a liquid inlet port of the system comprises a first density of the first portion of nozzles and a portion of the basin not adjacent the liquid inlet port comprises a second density of the first portion of nozzles less than the first density.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid-gas contactor is configured to capture CO₂ from at least one of a dilute gas source or a point source.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the dilute gas source comprises air and the point source comprises one or more of flue gas, reservoir gas, exhaust flue stack gases from power generation processes, exhaust flue stack gases from concrete production processes, and exhaust from combustion processes.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid-gas contactor system is configured as part of a cooling water system.

18. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, wherein the distribution sub-assembly comprises;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height and a first nozzle design specific to a first flow rate; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height and a second nozzle design specific to a second flow rate that is less than the first flow rate, wherein the first portion of nozzles are distributed within a portion of the basin furthest from the liquid inlet of the basin.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the nozzle and basin system is configured to accommodate a plurality of liquid levels.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the distribution sub-assembly is configured to receive a liquid flowing at at least one of the plurality of liquid flow rates, the plurality of liquid flow rates comprising at least one of a flush flow rate or a pulse flow rate, and at least the first portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the flush flow rate, and at least the second portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the pulse flow rate.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the liquid-gas contactor system is configured as part of a cooling water system.

22. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, the distribution sub-assembly comprising;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height, wherein the distribution sub-assembly is configured to receive a liquid flowing at at least one of the plurality of liquid flow rates, the plurality of liquid flow rates comprising at least one of a flush flow rate or a pulse flow rate, and at least the first portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the flush flow rate, and at least the second portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the pulse flow rate.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the distribution sub-assembly is fluidly coupled to at least a portion of packing material of the liquid-gas contactor system, and at least a portion of the first portion of nozzles and the second portion of nozzles are configured to distribute a liquid flow to the packing material of up to 7 liters per second per square meter of packing material.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein pulse flow rates of the liquid are 10 percent of flush flow rates of the liquid.

25. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin, the nozzle and basin system being configured to accommodate a plurality of liquid levels; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, the distribution sub-assembly comprising;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height, wherein a center area of a basin of the nozzle and basin system comprises a first density of the first portion of nozzles and a perimeter area of the basin comprises a second density of the first portion of nozzles less than the first density.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the center area of the basin of the nozzle and basin system comprises a first density of the second portion of nozzles and the perimeter area of the basin comprises a second density of the second portion of nozzles greater than the first density.

27. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin, the nozzle and basin system being configured to accommodate a plurality of liquid levels; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, the distribution sub-assembly comprising;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height, wherein an area of a basin of the nozzle and basin system adjacent to a liquid inlet port of the system comprises a first density of the first portion of nozzles and a portion of the basin not adjacent the liquid inlet port comprises a second density of the first portion of nozzles less than the first density.

28. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, wherein the liquid-gas contactor is configured to capture a gas containing CO₂ from at least one of a dilute gas source or a point source.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the dilute gas source comprises air and the point source comprises one or more of flue gas, reservoir gas, exhaust flue stack gases from power generation processes, exhaust flue stack gases from concrete production processes, and exhaust from combustion processes.

30. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, the distribution sub-assembly comprising;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height, and the first portion of nozzles are distributed within a portion of the basin furthest from the liquid inlet of the basin, wherein the distribution subassembly is configured to receive a liquid flowing at one of the plurality of liquid flow rates, the plurality of liquid flow rates comprising at least one of a flush flow rate or a pulse flow rate, and at least the first portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the flush flow rate, and at least the second portion of nozzles are configured to activate when the liquid is received by the distribution sub-assembly at the pulse flow rate.

31. A nozzle and basin apparatus for use in a liquid-gas contactor system comprising:

a liquid inlet port coupled to a system of nozzles and basin; and

a distribution sub-assembly coupled to the nozzle and basin system configured to operate under a plurality of liquid flow rates while maintaining consistent spatial liquid distribution, wherein the distribution sub-assembly comprises;

a first portion of nozzles having a first intake height; and

a second portion of nozzles having a second intake height shorter than the first intake height, wherein the first portion of nozzles are distributed within a center portion of the basin and the second portion of nozzles are evenly distributed within the basin.