Method of collecting carbon dioxide contained in fumes

• US 20050169825A1
• Filed: 12/20/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole (IFP Energies Nouvelles)
• Original Assignee: Institut Francais Du Petrole (IFP Energies Nouvelles)
• Inventors: Cadours, Renaud, Mougin, Pascal, Broutin, Paul, Carrette, Pierre-Louis, Boucot, Pierre
• Application Number:
  US11/014,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20050169825A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/220
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1425 Regeneration of liquid absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1475 Removing carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

The fumes flowing in through line 1 are contacted in column C1 with a solvent, at low vapour pressure, absorbing the carbon dioxide. The solvent laden with carbon dioxide is regenerated by distillation in column C2. In order to improve the regeneration operation, a gas is injected through line 11 into column C2 so that this gas carries along the carbon dioxide contained in the solvent. The carbon dioxide-rich gaseous effluent obtained at the top of column C2 can be liquefied by compression and cooling, then stored in surge tank R, which allows its transportation and possibly underground sequestration.

Claims

1. A method of collecting the carbon dioxide present in combustion fumes, wherein the following stages are carried out:

a) contacting the fumes with a carbon dioxide-absorbing solvent so as to obtain carbon dioxide-depleted fumes and a carbon dioxide-laden solvent, and

b) regenerating the carbon dioxide-laden solvent by distillation in a column (C2), a gas being injected into the column, so as to obtain a regenerated solvent and a gaseous effluent comprising carbon dioxide, the volume flow rate of said gas being less than 10% of the volume flow rate of the fumes to be treated in stage a).

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the following stages are also carried out:

c) liquefying the gaseous effluent obtained in stage b), and

d) storing the liquid obtained in stage c) in a tank.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gaseous effluent is compressed and cooled in stage c).

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, prior to stage b), the carbon dioxide-laden solvent is expanded so as to release part of the carbon dioxide.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein part of the expanded solvent is contacted with the fumes in stage a).

6. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein, in stage c), the gaseous effluent obtained in stage b) and the part of the carbon dioxide released by expansion of the solvent are liquefied.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein, prior to stage b), the carbon dioxide-laden solvent is compressed.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regenerated solvent is recycled to stage a) as carbon dioxide-absorbing solvent.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solvent has a vapour pressure below 0.1 MPa abs. at 100°

C.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the solvent comprises at least one of the following compounds:

a glycol, a glycol ether, an alcohol, sulfolane, N-methyl-pyrrolidone, propylene carbonate, an ionic liquid, an amine, an alkanolamine, an amino-acid, an amide, a urea, a phosphate, a carbonate and an alkali metal borate.

11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gas comprises less than 15% by volume of carbon dioxide.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the gas is selected from the following list of gases:

part of the fumes discharged before stage a), part of the carbon dioxide-depleted fumes obtained in stage a), natural gas, air.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

stage a) is carried out at a pressure ranging between 0.1 and 10 MPa abs., and at a temperature ranging between 0°

C. and 80°

C.,

stage b) is carried out at a pressure ranging between 0.01 and 0.2 MPa abs.