METHODS FOR APPLYING MICROCHANNELS TO SEPARATE GASES USING LIQUID ABSORBENTS, ESPECIALLY IONIC LIQUID (IL) ABSORBENTS
First Claim
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1. A method for separating gaseous components comprising the steps of:
- contacting a gaseous mixture with an ionic liquid by flowing the gaseous mixture and the ionic liquid through a microchannel;
absorbing at least a portion of a first component gas of the gaseous mixture by the ionic liquid, thereby creating a resultant mixture including a resultant gas and the ionic liquid;
directing the resultant gas away from the ionic liquid; and
desorbing at least a portion of the first component gas from the ionic liquid by changing the temperature of the ionic liquid.
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Abstract
Methods of using microchannel separation systems including absorbents to improve thermal efficiency and reduce parasitic power loss. Energy is typically added to desorb a solute and then energy or heat is removed to absorb a solute using a working solution. The working solution or absorbent may comprise an ionic liquid, or other fluids that demonstrate a difference in affinity between a solute and other gases in a solution.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A method for separating gaseous components comprising the steps of:
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contacting a gaseous mixture with an ionic liquid by flowing the gaseous mixture and the ionic liquid through a microchannel; absorbing at least a portion of a first component gas of the gaseous mixture by the ionic liquid, thereby creating a resultant mixture including a resultant gas and the ionic liquid; directing the resultant gas away from the ionic liquid; and desorbing at least a portion of the first component gas from the ionic liquid by changing the temperature of the ionic liquid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for separating component gases from a gaseous mixture comprising:
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providing a gaseous mixture including a first component gas and a second component gas; flowing a first ionic liquid and the gaseous mixture through a first microchannel; absorbing at least a portion of the first component gas into the first ionic liquid while the first ionic liquid and the gaseous mixture flow through the first microchannel, thereby forming a first resultant mixture including a first resultant gas and the first ionic liquid; flowing the first resultant mixture into a first liquid/gas separator; directing the first resultant gas away from the first ionic liquid using the first liquid/gas separator; desorbing at least a portion of the first component gas from the first ionic liquid by changing the temperature of the first ionic liquid; flowing a second ionic liquid and the first resultant gas into a second microchannel; absorbing at least a portion of the second component gas into the second ionic liquid while the second ionic liquid and the separated first resultant gas flow through the second microchannel, thereby forming a second resultant mixture including a second resultant gas and the second ionic liquid; flowing the second resultant mixture into a second liquid/gas separator; directing the second resultant gas away from the second ionic liquid using the second liquid/gas separator; and desorbing at least a portion of the second component gas from the second ionic liquid by changing the temperature of the second ionic liquid.
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31. A microchannel device comprising:
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a first plurality of microchannels; and a second plurality of microchannels, each of the second plurality of microchannels being separated from at least one of the first plurality of microchannels by one of a plurality of walls; wherein at least one of the walls includes a plurality of voids, the voids being arranged to permit heat transfer from one of the first plurality of microchannels to one of the second plurality of microchannels while reducing heat conduction along a length of the wall.
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32. A processing system comprising:
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a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; and an absorbent circulating through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4; andwherein the feed stream inlet receives a flue gas feed including nitrogen and carbon dioxide, the first resultant gas outlet exhausts a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the flue gas feed, and the second resultant gas outlet exhausts a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than the flue gas feed.
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33. A processing system comprising:
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a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; an absorbent circulating through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 and the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4; andwherein the feed stream inlet receives a mixture including at least one hydrocarbon and nitrogen, the first resultant gas outlet exhausts a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the mixture, and the second resultant gas outlet exhausts a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of the at least one hydrocarbon than the mixture.
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34. A processing system comprising:
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a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; and an absorbent circulating through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4; andwherein the feed stream inlet receives a mixture including at least one hydrocarbon and at least one contaminant, the first resultant gas outlet exhausts a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of the hydrocarbon than the mixture, and the second resultant gas outlet exhausts a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of the contaminant than the mixture. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. The processing device of 36, further comprising a second Fischer-Tropsch reactor, wherein at least one of the first resultant gas outlet and the second resultant gas outlet is coupled to an inlet of the second Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
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38. A processing system comprising:
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a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; an absorbent circulating through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T3 is greater than T2, T4 is greater than T1, and T2 is greater than T4; andwherein the feed stream inlet receives a mixture including nitrogen and oxygen, the first resultant gas outlet exhausts a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the mixture, and the second resultant gas outlet exhausts a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of oxygen than the mixture.
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39. A processing system comprising:
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a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; an absorbent circulating through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T3 is greater than T2, T4 is greater than T1, and T2 is greater than T4; andwherein the feed stream inlet receives a mixture including at least one hydrocarbon and at least one contaminant, the first resultant gas outlet exhausts a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of the hydrocarbon than the mixture, and the second resultant gas outlet exhausts a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of the contaminant than the mixture. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41)
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42. The processing device of 41, further comprising a second Fischer-Tropsch reactor, wherein at least one of the first resultant gas outlet and the second resultant gas outlet is coupled to an inlet of the second Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
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43. A processing device comprising:
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a pump having an suction and a discharge; and a plurality of microchannels, each of the plurality of microchannels having an inlet and an outlet; wherein each of the inlets is directly fluidically connected to the discharge; and wherein each of the outlets is directly fluidically connected to the suction. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of processing a material comprising:
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forming a plurality of miscelles in an ionic liquid in a microreactor; crystallizing the miscelles to form crystals; and separating the crystals from the ionic liquid. - View Dependent Claims (49)
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50. A method of processing a material, comprising:
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flowing two fluids into a microchannel, the two fluids including a continuous phase and a discontinuous phase, at least one of the continuous phase and discontinuous phase including an ionic liquid; and combining the continuous phase and the discontinuous phase in the microchannel to form at least one of an emulsion and a dispersion. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. An emulsion comprising:
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a continuous phase; and a discontinuous phase; wherein at least one of the continuous phase and the discontinuous phase is an ionic liquid. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54)
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Specification