SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REGENERATING AN ABSORBENT SOLUTION

• US 20090151318A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: Zhang, Wei, Liljedahl, Gregory N., Turek, David G., Kotdawala, Rasesh R., Pfeffer, Allen M., Handagama, Nareshkumar B.
• Application Number:
  US12/277,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20090151318A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 60/39.182
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/304 Hydrogen sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1425 Regeneration of liquid absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1456 Removing acid components
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/40 Acidic components B01D53/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/96 Regeneration, reactivation or recycling of reactants
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/10 Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 3/102 of acid contaminants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

A system (100) for regenerating an absorbent solution, including: steam (128) produced by a boiler (130); a set of pressure turbines (132) fluidly coupled to the boiler; a siphoning mechanism (134) for siphoning at least a portion of the steam produced by the boiler; and a regenerating system (118) fluidly coupled to the siphoning mechanism, wherein siphoned steam is utilized as a heat source for the regenerating system.

Claims

1. A process for providing at least a portion of steam produced by a boiler to a regenerating system, said process comprising:

producing a steam by combusting a fuel source in a boiler;

providing at least a portion of said steam to a set of pressure turbines fluidly coupled to said boiler, said set of pressure turbines including a high pressure turbine, an intermediate pressure turbine, and a low pressure turbine;

siphoning at least a portion of said steam provided to said set of pressure turbines through a siphoning mechanism to produce siphoned steam, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located at a position selected from a group consisting of a position between said boiler and said high pressure turbine, a position between said high pressure turbine and said intermediate pressure turbine, a position between said intermediate pressure turbine and said low pressure turbine, and combinations thereof; and

utilizing said siphoned steam as a heat source for a regenerating system fluidly coupled to said siphoning mechanism.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located at a position between said boiler and said high pressure turbine.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein said set of pressure turbines further includes a back pressure turbine, said back pressure turbine fluidly coupled to said siphoning mechanism and said regenerating system.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located between said high pressure turbine and said intermediate pressure turbine.

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein said set of pressure turbines further includes a back pressure turbine, said back pressure turbine fluidly coupled to said steam siphoning mechanism and said regenerating system.

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located between said intermediate pressure turbine and said low pressure turbine.

7. A process according to claim 6, further comprising a second siphoning mechanism located between said boiler and said regenerating system.

8. A process according to claim 6, further comprising a second siphoning mechanism located between said boiler and said high pressure turbine.

9. A system for regenerating an absorbent solution, said system comprising:

steam produced by a boiler;

a set of pressure turbines fluidly coupled to said boiler, said set of pressure turbines including a high pressure turbine, an intermediate pressure turbine, and a low pressure turbine;

a siphoning mechanism for siphoning at least a portion of said steam produced by said boiler, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located at a position selected from a group consisting of a position between said boiler and said high pressure turbine, a position between said high pressure turbine and said intermediate pressure turbine, a position between said intermediate pressure turbine and said low pressure turbine, and combinations thereof; and

a regenerating system fluidly coupled to said siphoning mechanism, wherein siphoned steam is utilized as a heat source for said regenerating system.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located at a position between said boiler and said high pressure turbine.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said set of pressure turbines further includes a back pressure turbine, said back pressure turbine is fluidly coupled to said siphoning mechanism and said regenerating system.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located between said high pressure turbine and said intermediate pressure turbine.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said set of pressure turbines further includes a back pressure turbine, said back pressure turbine is fluidly coupled to said steam siphoning mechanism and said regenerating system.

14. A system according to claim 9, wherein said siphoning mechanism is located between said intermediate pressure turbine and said low pressure turbine.

15. A system according to claim 14, further comprising a second siphoning mechanism located between said boiler and said regenerating system.

16. A system according to claim 14, further comprising a second siphoning mechanism located between said boiler and said high pressure turbine.

17. A system according to claim 9, wherein said regenerating system comprises a regenerator and a reboiler.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said reboiler provides a steam to said regenerator, said steam regenerating a rich absorbent solution in said regenerator.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said rich absorbent solution comprises a chemical solvent selected from the group of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), diisopropanolamine (DIPA), N-methylethanolamine, triethanolamine (TEA), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), piperazine, N-methylpiperazine (MP), N-hydroxyethylpiperazine (HEP), 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), 2-(2-aminoethoxy)ethanol, 2-(2-tert-butylaminopropoxy)ethanol, 2-(2-tert-butylaminoethoxy)ethanol (TBEE), 2-(2-tert-amylaminoethoxy)ethanol, 2-(2-isopropylaminopropoxy)ethanol, or 2-(2-(1-methyl-1-ethylpropylamino)ethoxy)ethanol.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein said rich absorbent solution comprises ammonia.

21. In a system for regenerating an absorbent solution, the system comprising a first boiler generating a process stream and steam, an absorber for removing an acidic component from said process stream thereby forming a rich absorbent solution and a cleansed process stream, and a regenerator for regenerating said rich absorbent solution, the improvement comprising:

a second boiler generating steam; and

a reboiler coupled to said regenerator, wherein at least a portion of steam from said second boiler is provided to said reboiler.

22. A system according to claim 21, further comprising a pressure turbine coupled to said reboiler and said second boiler, wherein at least a portion of said steam from said second boiler is first provided to said pressure turbine prior and then to said reboiler.

23. A system according to claim 21, further wherein at least a portion of said steam from said second boiler is provided to a set of pressure turbines, wherein said set of pressure turbines includes a high pressure turbine, an intermediate pressure turbine and a low pressure turbine.