PROCESS FOR THE REMOVAL OF ACID GASES FROM THE AIR AND FROM COMBUSTION GASES FROM BURNERS AND INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES BY MEANS OF ABSORPTION WITH SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION AND PROCESS FOR OBTAINING SODIUM CARBONATE IN ORDER TO ACQUIRE CARBON CREDITS

• US 20130115151A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roberto Tomas Miklos Ilkovics
• Original Assignee: Roberto Tomas Miklos Ilkovics
• Inventors: Miklos Ilkovics, Roberto Toms
• Application Number:
  US13/637,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20130115151A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/212
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/304 of sodium
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2251/604 Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/18 Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/502 characterised by a specific solution or suspension
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/56 Nitrogen oxides B01D53/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/60 Simultaneously removing sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/73 After-treatment of removed components
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/78 with gas-liquid contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

The present invention consists of an absorption process with a chemical reaction to capture acid gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide from the ambient air and from combustion gases from burners and internal combustion engines using fossil fuels; the aim of the invention being the acquisition of carbon credits in accordance with the “Kyoto protocol on climate change”. The process is carried out in a horizontal spray absorber using an 8% solution of sodium hydroxide as absorption liquid, obtaining sodium carbonate, sodium sulphite, sodium nitrite and nitrate as byproducts. These byproducts are converted into commercial products such as calcium carbonate, barium sulphate and ammonium nitrate; for which purpose both the sodium sulphite and the sodium nitrite must previously be converted into sodium sulphate and nitrate by means of an oxidizing agent.

Claims

1. Acid gases absorption from the atmospheric air or combustion gases coming from burners and internal combustion motors that use fossil fuels, by means of a sodium hydroxide solution, characterized by following steps:

(a) capturing of acid gases coming from the atmospheric air and from combustion gases of burners and internal combustion motors, by means of a fan for directing them to horizontal spray absorber;

(b) air and combustion gases supplying containing acid gases of the horizontal spray absorber in which gases run (in horizontal direction) along the equipment;

(c) acid gases absorbing by means of a 8% NaOH solution, which is injected perpendicularly in the form of sprinkler and to the sides, at 90°

respect to the vertical through dispersion nozzles that dissolve and react with the acid gases, producing Na₂C0₃, Na₂S0₃, NaNO₂ and NaN0₃;

(d) separating the carbonate from absorber solution, as calcium carbonate by means of the addition of lime slurry and regenerating the sodium hydroxide;

the precipitated carbonate is washed with water and dried with hot air for marketing, which is an impalpable powder passing the mesh 325 of Taylor series;

(e) sulfite separating by means of barium chloride addition and an oxidizing agent to precipitate it as barium sulfate and forming sodium chloride, the barium sulfate obtained is washed with water and dried with hot air, for its marketing;

(f) nitrite and nitrate separating by means of the addition of ammonium hydroxide to react with the nitrate and an oxidizing agent to obtain only ammonium nitrate, the crystals of ammonium nitrate are washed with water and dried with hot air for its marketing;

(g) in an industrial alternative the sodium carbonate is separated without the addition of lime slurry, characterized by the concentration, by recirculating the solution to deposit of the absorber solution up to saturation, it is passed to a heat exchanger for heating the solution to then pass it to a basket crystallizer for crystallizing Na₂C0₃, after washing with water, drying with hot air and finally grinding to the granulometry commercially desired.

2. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that in step (d) the sodium hydroxide solution regenerated is sent to the supply deposit of absorber liquid to be reused after adjustment of the concentration to 8%.

3. The process according to claim 1, characterized in the absorber carries out the following steps:

(a) absorbing carbon dioxide contained in the gases to be cleaned by producing sodium carbonate in solution and removing CO₂ present in the gaseous flow;

(b) absorbing sulfur dioxide contained in the gases to be cleaned by producing sodium sulphite in solution and removing SO₂ present in the gaseous flow;

(c) absorbing nitrogen dioxide contained in the gases to be cleaned by producing sodium nitrite and nitrate in solution and removing NO₂ present in the gaseous flow.

4. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that average gas velocity ranges from 3 to 7 m/sec and the absorbing liquid flow varies from 1.0 to 3.3 Kg/m² sec.

6. Based on byproducts obtained in accordance with claim 3 items (a), (b) and (c), carbon credits that will be accredited in accordance with the Kyoto protocol may be calculated.

7. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that the sodium carbonate solution formed in the step (g) is sent to the absorber liquid supply deposit to restore consumed sodium hydroxide adjusting the concentration to 8%.

8. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that in step (c) CO₂ capture is performed in a horizontal spray absorber to produce sodium carbonate, cleaning the air and combustion gases thus reducing greenhouse effect to environment.

9. The process according to claim 1, characterized in that in step (b) the gas flow is 10,000 m³/h with a flux density of 4.5 Kg/m² sec for the air with 0.044% CO₂ and 4.8 Kg/m² sec for the flue gases with 16% CO₂.

5. A horizontal spray absorber for absorbing acid gases from air and combustion gases coming from burners and internal combustion motors, characterized in that comprises:

(a) a tubular body segmented into two or three sections;

(b) each section having three series of nozzles spaced equidistantly from each other, one on top and the other two on each side of the first forming an angle of 90°

, resulting in a total of 15 nozzles per section;

(c) a channel in the bottom of the tubular body for collecting absorption liquid with the absorbed acid gases, through perforations;

which has a height of 10 cm as hydrostatic seal.

10. An horizontal spray absorber for absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and combustion gases coming from burners and internal combustion motors, characterized by comprising:

(a) a tubular body segmented into seven sections of a meter long each section and 0.85 m inner diameter made of austenitic steel;

(b) each section having three series of nozzles spaced equidistantly between themselves, one at the top and the other two on each side of the first forming an angle of 90°

, resulting in a total of 15 nozzles per section.

(c) a channel at the bottom of the tubular body for collecting the absorption liquid with absorbed CO₂, through perforations, which has a height of 30 cm as a hydrostatic seal.