METHOD OF MANAGING CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS

• US 20110070137A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 1390024 Alberta Ltd.
• Original Assignee: 1390024 Alberta Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobler, Michael H., Brock, Dana, Watson, John David
• Application Number:
  US12/786,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070137A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/232
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/404 of calcium
• 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 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0227 containing a catalytic reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/86 Carbon dioxide sequestration
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 11/18 Carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 5/24 Magnesium carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 30/00 Technologies relating to oil refining and petrochemical industry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

Processes are disclosed for managing the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by a process of mining, acquiring water, capturing carbon and disposing of water containing bicarbonates. A number of process configurations of accelerated weathering of carbonate mineral-containing materials (AWC) reactors are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a hydrocarbon-powered industrial operation, a carbon dioxide-containing off-gas;

contacting the off-gas with water and an underground supply of carbonate mineral-containing materials to convert at least a portion of the carbon dioxide and carbonate mineral-containing materials into aqueous bicarbonate and a treated off-gas; and

discharging the treated off-gas.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least about 20% of the carbon dioxide in the off-gas is converted into an aqueous bicarbonate, wherein the hydrocarbon-powered industrial operation is at least one of a power plant, a cement production plant, a steel production plant, and a thermal hydrocarbon recovery operation, wherein the off-gas further comprises carbon monoxide, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides, and wherein the aqueous bicarbonate is discharged into a large body of water.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the contacting step comprises:

in a first underground zone dissolving at least part of the off-gas in water; and

in a second underground zone contacting the dissolved off-gas with carbonate mineral-containing materials to form the aqueous bicarbonate and treated off-gas, the first and second underground zones being spatially dislocated from one another.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the underground carbonate mineral-containing materials supply is from and in spatial proximity to an underground carbonate mineral-containing materials deposit, wherein water is transported to the underground carbonate mineral-containing materials supply from at least one of an underground aquifer, a surface body water, and the operation, wherein the aqueous bicarbonate is discharged into at least one of an underground aquifer, a surface body of water, and an underground excavation, and wherein the treated off-gas is discharged into the atmosphere.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the carbonate mineral-containing materials in the underground carbonate mineral-containing materials supply is from the underground carbonate mineral-containing materials deposit, wherein the carbonate containing material is at least one of limestone and dolomite and wherein the carbonate mineral-containing materials is comminuted in situ to form particulated carbonate mineral-containing materials for contact with the carbon dioxide in the off-gas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the underground supply of carbonate mineral-containing materials is an in situ deposit of carbonate mineral-containing materials and wherein the carbonate containing material is at least one of limestone and dolomite.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in a first mode at high tide, collecting water in at least one underground excavation, wherein at least a portion of the water in the contact step is the collected water;

after removal of at least a portion of the collected water, discharging at least a portion of the aqueous bicarbonate into the at least one underground excavation; and

in a second mode at low tide, discharging the at least a portion of the aqueous bicarbonate from the at least one underground excavation and into an ocean.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an accelerated weathering of carbonate mineral-containing materials (“

AWC”

) reactor is positioned underground and wherein the AWC reactor performs the contacting step.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

collecting, in response to tidal action, water in at least a first underground excavation;

transporting the collected water to the AWC reactor; and

transporting the aqueous bicarbonate to the at least a first underground excavation for removal by tidal action.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least a first underground excavation comprises a first underground excavation for collection of water from tidal action and a second underground excavation for holding the aqueous bicarbonate for removal by tidal action.

11. A system, comprising:

a supply of carbonate mineral-containing materials;

an inlet for a carbon dioxide-containing off-gas from a hydrocarbon-powered industrial operation, the hydrocarbon-powered industrial operation converting hydrocarbons into the off-gas;

an accelerated weathering of carbonate mineral-containing materials (“

AWC”

) reactor to contact the off-gas with water and carbonate mineral-containing materials to convert at least a portion of the carbon dioxide and carbonate mineral-containing materials into aqueous bicarbonate and a treated off-gas, the AWC reactor being positioned underground; and

an outlet to discharge the treated off-gas.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the supply of carbonate mineral-containing materials is positioned underground near the hydrocarbon-powered industrial operation, wherein at least about 20% of the carbon dioxide in the off-gas is converted into carbonic acid, wherein the hydrocarbon-powered industrial operation is at least one of a power plant, a cement production plant, a steel production plant, and a thermal hydrocarbon recovery operation, wherein the off-gas further comprises carbon monoxide, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides, wherein the industrial operation and AWC reactor are located on a common site, and wherein the aqueous bicarbonate is discharged into a large body of water.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the AWC reactor comprises:

a first underground zone to dissolve at least part of the off-gas in water; and

a second underground zone to contact the dissolved off-gas with carbonate mineral-containing materials to form the aqueous bicarbonate and treated off-gas, the first and second underground zones being spatially dislocated from one another and the second underground zone comprising more carbonate mineral-containing materials than the first underground zone.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first underground zone is substantially free of carbonate mineral-containing materials and wherein at least most of the off-gas is contacted with water in the first underground zone.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the carbonate mineral-containing materials is from and in spatial proximity to an underground carbonate mineral-containing materials deposit, wherein the off-gas is transported to the AWC reactor, wherein water is transported to the AWC reactor from at least one of an underground aquifer, a surface body water, and the operation, wherein the aqueous bicarbonate is discharged into at least one of an underground aquifer, a abandoned underground excavation, and a surface body of water, and wherein the treated off-gas is discharged into the atmosphere.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the carbonate mineral-containing materials in the underground carbonate mineral-containing materials supply is from the underground carbonate mineral-containing materials deposit, wherein the carbonate containing material is at least one of limestone and dolomite and wherein the carbonate mineral-containing materials is comminuted in situ to form particulated carbonate mineral-containing materials for contact with the carbon dioxide in the off-gas.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the carbonate mineral-containing materials is an in situ deposit of carbonate mineral-containing materials, wherein the carbonate containing material is at least one of limestone and dolomite.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least some of the carbonate mineral-containing materials has been comminuted to form a particulated carbonate mineral-containing materials material and wherein the aqueous bicarbonate is sequestered in an underground excavation.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

at least a first underground excavation to collect, in response to tidal action, water and contain the aqueous bicarbonate for removal by tidal action.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least a first underground excavation comprises separate excavations for collecting water and containing the aqueous bicarbonate.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the industrial operation and AWC reactor are located remotely from one another, wherein the industrial operation and AWC reactor are not located on a common site, and wherein the aqueous bicarbonate is discharged into the ocean.

22. A reactor assembly, comprising:

(a) a first zone to contact water with a carbon dioxide-containing off-gas to dissolve at least about 20% of the carbon dioxide in the water to form a treated off-gas and an aqueous process stream comprising dissolved carbon dioxide in the form of carbonic acid, the first zone being substantially free of carbonate mineral-containing materials; and

(b) a second zone to contact the process stream with carbonate mineral-containing materials to convert at least about 20% of the carbonic acid to a bicarbonate and form aqueous bicarbonate, wherein the first and second zones are spatially dislocated from one another.

23. The reactor assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

(c) a first recycle loop, the first recycle loop recycling a first portion of the aqueous process stream to the first zone where the first portion is sprayed into the off-gas; and

(d) a first outlet from the first zone to input a second portion of the aqueous process stream to the second zone.

24. The reactor assembly of claim 22, further comprising:

(c) a second recycle loop, the second recycle loop recycling a first portion of the aqueous bicarbonates to the second zone where the first portion is sprayed into a space above the aqueous process stream; and

(d) a second outlet from the second zone to discharge a second portion of the aqueous bicarbonates.

25. A method, comprising:

at high tide, collecting seawater in at least a first excavation;

at low tide, removing the collected seawater from the at least a first excavation;

processing the seawater to form a discharge stream; and

at low tide, locating the discharge stream in the at least a first excavation, whereby, at high tide, the discharge stream is removed from the at least a first excavation.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, at high tide, the discharge stream is replaced in the at least a first excavation by collected seawater.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the discharge stream comprises a bicarbonate.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the bicarbonate in the discharge stream is from contact, in an accelerated weathering of carbonate mineral-containing materials reactor, of carbonate mineral-containing materials with a carbon dioxide-containing fluid.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the carbon dioxide-containing fluid is an off-gas from an industrial operation.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least a first underground excavation comprises separate excavations for collecting water and containing the discharge stream.

31. A method, comprising:

in a first zone, contacting water with a carbon dioxide-containing off-gas to dissolve at least about 20% of the carbon dioxide in the water to form a treated off-gas and an aqueous process stream comprising dissolved carbon dioxide in the form of carbonic acid, the first zone being substantially free of carbonate mineral-containing materials; and

in a second zone, contacting the process stream with carbonate mineral-containing materials to convert at least about 20% of the carbonic acid to a bicarbonate and form aqueous bicarbonates, wherein the first and second zones are spatially dislocated from one another.

32. The reactor assembly of claim 31, further comprising:

by a first recycle loop, recycling a first portion of the aqueous process stream to the first zone where the first portion is sprayed into the off-gas; and

by a first outlet from the first zone, inputting a second portion of the aqueous process stream to the second zone.

33. The reactor assembly of claim 31, further comprising:

by a second recycle loop, recycling a first portion of the aqueous bicarbonates to the second zone where the first portion is sprayed into a space above the aqueous process stream; and

by a second outlet from the second zone, discharging a second portion of the aqueous bicarbonates.

34. A system, comprising:

at least a first underground excavation operable, at high tide, to collect seawater; and

a facility operable, at low tide, to remove the collected seawater from the at least a first excavation;

process the seawater to form a discharge stream; and

, at low tide, to locate the discharge stream in the at least a first excavation, whereby, at high tide, the discharge stream is removed from the at least a first excavation.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein, at high tide, the discharge stream is replaced in the at least a first excavation by collected seawater.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the discharge stream comprises a bicarbonate.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the facility is a gas treatment facility comprising an accelerated weathering of carbonate mineral-containing materials (“

AWC”

) reactor, wherein the bicarbonate in the discharge stream is from contact, by the AWC reactor, of carbonate mineral-containing materials with a carbon dioxide-containing fluid.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the carbon dioxide-containing fluid is an off-gas from an industrial operation.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the at least a first underground excavation comprises separate excavations for collecting water and containing the discharge stream.