COMPRESSION OF CARBON DIOXIDE CONTAINING FLUID

• US 20130291719A1
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Technology GmbH (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Alstom Technology Ltd. (Alstom SA)
• Inventors: STALLMANN, Olaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/39
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/00 Separation of gases or vapours; Recovering vapours of volatile solvents from gases; Chemical or biological purification of waste gases, e.g. engine exhaust gases, smoke, fumes, flue gases, aerosols, recovery of volatile solvents by condensation B01D5/00; sublimation B01D7/00; cold traps, cold baffles B01D8/00; working-up undefined gaseous mixtures obtained by cracking hydrocarbon oils C10G70/00; cleaning coal gas C10K; working-up of natural gas, or synthetic natural gas, C10L3/10; separation of difficult-to-condense gases or air by liquefaction F25J; for investigating materials G01N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/002 by condensation
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/80 the fluid being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2235/80 the fluid being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0266 separation of carbon dioxide production of carbon dioxide in general C01B32/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/067 separation of carbon dioxide production of carbon dioxide in general C01B32/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of pressurising a fluid comprising carbon dioxide, the method includes: obtaining the fluid from a unit for removing carbon dioxide from a process gas; compressing the fluid to a pressure above the critical pressure of carbon dioxide; and cooling the compressed fluid to a temperature above the critical temperature of carbon dioxide to produce a supercritical fluid. The invention further relates to an apparatus for pressurising a fluid comprising carbon dioxide, the apparatus including: means for obtaining the fluid from a unit for removing carbon dioxide from a process gas; means for compressing the fluid to a pressure above the critical pressure of carbon dioxide; and means for cooling the compressed fluid to a temperature above the critical temperature of carbon dioxide to produce a supercritical fluid.

Claims

1. A method of pressurising a fluid comprising carbon dioxide, the method comprising:

obtaining the fluid from a unit for removing carbon dioxide from a process gas;

compressing the fluid to a pressure above the critical pressure of carbon dioxide; and

cooling the compressed fluid to a temperature above the critical temperature of carbon dioxide to produce a supercritical fluid.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

pumping the supercritical fluid.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the compressing of the fluid, the fluid is compressed to a pressure within the range of 9-12 MPa.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the compressed and cooled fluid has a density of at least 600 kg/m³.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises at least 80 mol-%, such as at least 92 mol-%, carbon dioxide.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises at most 99.9 mol-%, such as at most 98 mol-%, carbon dioxide.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises at least 0.1 mol-%, such as at least 1 mol-%, of impurities, such as Ar, N₂, O₂, SO_X, NO_X, H₂O, H₂ and/or CH₄.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtained fluid is a flue gas from an oxy-combustion power plant.

9. An apparatus for pressurising a fluid comprising carbon dioxide, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a fluid from a unit for removing carbon dioxide from a process gas;

means for compressing the fluid to a pressure above the critical pressure of carbon dioxide; and

means for cooling the compressed fluid to a temperature above the critical temperature of carbon dioxide to produce a supercritical fluid.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for pumping the supercritical fluid.

11. A system for removing carbon dioxide from a process gas, wherein the system comprises the apparatus according to claim 9.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the system is part of an oxy-combustion power plant and is arranged to remove carbon dioxide from a flue gas of said power plant.