METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR DECREASING THE CO2 CONCENTRATION OF A FLUID

• US 20100258506A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. (Weizmann Institute of Science)
• Original Assignee: Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. (Weizmann Institute of Science)
• Inventors: Dror, Ishai, Berkowitz, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 9,346,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/713
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/404 of calcium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2252/1035 Sea water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/06 Polluted air
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/60 Preparation of carbonates or bicarbonates in general of percarbonates C01B15/10; of specific carbonates or bicarbonates according to the cation C01B-C01G
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 11/181 Preparation of calcium carbonate by carbonation of aqueous solutions and characterised by control of the carbonation conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2

Abstract

This invention is directed to decreasing the CO2 concentration. The invention makes use of fluids and apparatuses for diminishing CO2 concentrations of fluids.

Claims

1. A method of decreasing a CO₂ concentration of a fluid, the method comprising applying a flow of a first gas comprising trace amounts or no CO₂, and applying a second gas comprising CO₂ at a concentration of at least higher than that found in an air-water equilibrium to a fluid comprising;

a salt; and

a liquid;

whereby solid carbonate is formed in said fluid and the concentration of said CO₂ in said fluid is decreased.

2. The method of claim 1 or 71, wherein said liquid is an aqueous solution.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said liquid is a natural body of water, wherein said natural body of water is a sea, brackish water, underground water reservoir, lake, river or an ocean.

6. The method of claim 1 or 71, wherein said liquid comprises effluent from a desalination plant.

7. The method of claim 1 or 71, wherein said second gas is an atmospheric air contaminated as a consequence of a man-made process or as a consequence of a natural process.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said man-made process comprises burning of waste, plastics, polymers, hydrocarbons, carbonaceous materials, wood fossil fuels, coal, brown coal, naphtha, oil, gasoline, diesel fuels, kerosene, petroleum, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, bottled gas, methane, butane, propane, gasoline additives, ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, mono alkyl ester or combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 or 71, wherein said salt comprises calcium ions, sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, barium ions, manganese ions, iron ions, strontium ions, zinc ions, aluminum ions, or any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said second gas consists of pure CO₂.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid is a supersaturated aqueous solution of said CO₂.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said first gas is applied prior to solubilization of said second gas.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said first gas is applied subsequent to solubilization of said second gas.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid is at a basic pH.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said pH in the region within 0.1-100 m of the introduction of the first gas is between 9-12.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein said first gas is air.

118. The method of claim 1, wherein second gas further comprises sulfur oxides whereby solid carbonate and solid sulfate are fowled.

119. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluid further comprises sulfur oxides whereby solid sulfate and solid carbonate are formed.

4-5. -5. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

10-12. -12. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

26-28. -28. (canceled)

29. An apparatus for decreasing the concentration of CO₂ of a fluid, the apparatus comprising:

a first conveyor for the introduction of a first gas comprising trace amounts or no CO₂;

a second conveyor for the introduction of a second gas comprising CO₂ at a concentration of at least higher than that found in an air-water equilibrium; and

a reaction chamber;

whereby upon adding a solution comprising a salt to said reaction chamber, introducing said first gas into said reaction chamber via said first conveyor, and introducing said second gas into said reaction chamber via said second conveyor, solid carbonate formation in said reaction chamber and evolution of unreacted gas comprising a reduced concentration of CO₂ occurs.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, further comprising an aqueous source.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising a conveyor from said aqueous source to said reaction chamber.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising a pump for circulation of aqueous source in said apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, further comprising a conveyor for the release of gas from said reaction chamber.

34. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, further comprising a salt source and a conveyor from said salt source to said aqueous source.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said reaction chamber is formed of natural elements, which create a boundary or compartment which is considered as a reaction chamber.

38. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, wherein said second conveyor conveys atmospheric air.

39. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, wherein said second conveyor further comprises a filter positioned between a source of said second gas and said reaction chamber.

40. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, further comprising at least one environmental controller.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein said environmental controller controls temperature, pressure, pH or a combination thereof.

43. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising pumps for introducing fluids to said reaction chamber, under controlled pressure.

44. The apparatus of claim 29 or 95, wherein said solution comprising a salt, is an aqueous solution.

45. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said first conveyor, second conveyor or combination thereof conveys said first gas or second gas or combination thereof to said reaction chamber, wherein said reaction chamber is a natural body of water, wherein said natural body of water is a sea, brackish water, underground water reservoir, lake, river or an ocean.

46. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said fluid is a natural body of water comprising sea, brackish water, underground water reservoir, lake, river or an ocean.

49. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said first gas is air.

52. A method of decreasing a CO₂ concentration in a fluid, wherein said method comprises applying said fluid to an apparatus of claim 29.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said solid carbonate is a precipitate that may be isolated.

35-36. -36. (canceled)

42. (canceled)

47-48. -48. (canceled)

50-51. -51. (canceled)

54. A fluid comprising a pressurized first gas, comprising trace amounts or no CO₂, a second gas comprising CO₂ at a concentration of at least higher than that found in an air-water equilibrium, and a salt.

55. The fluid of claim 54, wherein said fluid is an aqueous solution.

56. The fluid of claim 54, wherein said second gas is atmospheric air contaminated as a consequence of a man-made process or as a consequence of a natural process.

58. The fluid of claim 56, wherein said process comprises burning waste, plastics, polymers, hydrocarbons, carbonaceous materials, wood fossil fuels, coal, brown coal, naphtha, oil, gasoline, diesel fuels, kerosene, petroleum, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, bottled gas, methane, butane, propane, gasoline additives, ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, mono alkyl ester or combination thereof.

62. The fluid of claim 54, wherein said salt comprises calcium ions, sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, barium ions, manganese ions, iron ions, strontium ions, zinc ions, aluminum ions, or any combination thereof.

66. The fluid of claim 54, wherein said second gas consists of pure CO₂.

67. The fluid of claim 54, wherein said fluid is a supersaturated aqueous solution of said CO₂.

68. The fluid of claim 54, wherein said first gas is air.

57. (canceled)

59-61. -61. (canceled)

63-65. -65. (canceled)

69-70. -70. (canceled)

71. A method of decreasing a CO₂ concentration of a fluid sample, comprising the steps of:

(i) applying a flow of CO₂ to a liquid comprising a salt, forming carbonic acid in solution; and

(ii) mixing said carbonic acid solution in (i) with a base,

whereby the pH of said mixture in (ii) is between 9-12; and

solid carbonate is formed and the concentration of CO₂ in said fluid sample is decreased.

88. The method of claim 71, wherein said flow of said CO₂ is at an ambient pressure.

89. The method of claim 71, wherein said base comprises NH₃, NH₄OH, NaOH or lime water or any combination thereof.

90. The method of claim 89, wherein said NH₃ or NH₄OH are from man-made synthetic sources of ammonia, domestic or wild sources of bird guano, poultry farms, mineral deposits, bovine, porcine, ovine, equine urine or feces, fish farms, marine mammals, animal urine or animal manure or any combination thereof.

91. The method of claim 71, wherein additional salt is added to said mixture in step (ii).

120. The method of claim 71, wherein said flow of CO₂ further comprises sulfur oxides whereby solid carbonate and solid sulfate are formed.

121. The method of claim 71, wherein said fluid sample comprises sulfur oxides whereby solid sulfate and solid carbonate are formed.

72-87. -87. (canceled)

92-94. -94. (canceled)

95. An apparatus for decreasing the concentration of CO₂ in a fluid sample, the apparatus comprising;

a first conveyor for the introduction a base;

a second conveyor for the introduction of a fluid sample comprising CO₂;

a reaction chamber; and

whereby upon adding a solution comprising a salt to said reaction chamber, introducing said base into said reaction chamber via said first conveyor, and introducing said fluid sample into said reaction chamber via said second conveyor, that enables solid carbonate formation in said reaction chamber and evolution of unreacted gas occurs.

101. The apparatus of claim 95, further comprises a salt source.

102. The apparatus of claim 101, further comprises a conveyor from said salt source to said aqueous source.

103. The apparatus of claim 101, further comprising a conveyor from said salt source to said reaction chamber.

110. The apparatus of claim 95, further comprises pumps for introducing said base, fluid samples or combination thereof to said reaction chamber, under controlled pressure.

112. The apparatus of claim 95, wherein said first conveyor, second conveyor or combination thereof conveys said base or fluid sample or combination thereof to said reaction chamber, wherein said reaction chamber is a natural body of water, wherein said natural body of water is a sea, brackish water, underground water reservoir, lake, river or an ocean.

113. The apparatus of claim 95, wherein said solution comprising a salt is formed in a part of a natural body of water wherein said natural body of water is a sea, brackish water, underground water reservoir, lake, river or an ocean.

115. A method of decreasing a CO₂ concentration of a fluid sample, wherein said method comprises applying said fluid sample to an apparatus of claim 95.

116. The method of claim 115, wherein said solid carbonate is a precipitate that may be isolated.

117. The method of claim 115, wherein said solid carbonate is filtered and the filtrate is recycled to said apparatus.

96-100. -100. (canceled)

104-109. -109. (canceled)

111. (canceled)

114. (canceled)