Method for the fixation of carbon dioxide, apparatus for fixing and disposing carbon dioxide, and apparatus for the treatment of carbon dioxide

• US 5,304,356 A
• Filed: 11/08/1991
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Masakazu, Negoro, Masaaki, Minemoto, Masaki, Haneda, Hisao, Iijima, Masaki, Tomikawa, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Housel, James C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Santiago, Amalia L.
• Application Number:
  US07/790,148
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 261/DIG. 39, 261/DIG. 54, 261/DIG. 56, 261/DIG. 70, 261/DIG. 75, 261/76, 261/77, 261/78.1, 261/115, 261/116, 261/124, 423/437, 422/224, 422/257, 422/225, 422/226, 422/227, 422/231, 422/243
• US Class Current: 422/226
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/62 Carbon oxides
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/002 Sea dumping
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/50 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/75 Flowing liquid aspirates gas

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by fixing and dumping carbon dioxide which is disposed in seawater or fresh water satisfying certain temperature and pressure conditions for the formation of carbon dioxide hydrate or its clathrate comprising:

a) a transport pipeline equipped with a compressor;

b) a carbon dioxide source connected to said transport pipeline upstream of said compressor;

c) a plurality of ejector nozzles disposed at one end of the pipeline;

d) a reaction housing which allows seawater or fresh water and carbon dioxide to react with each other and form the carbon dioxide hydrate or its clathrate;

e) a dispersing propeller;

wherein the reaction device is provided with the ejector nozzles and the dispersing propeller at the inlet portion of the device; the concentration of the carbon dioxide is supplied into the pipeline and is discharged by the compressor into the reaction housing from the ejector nozzles under pressure to form the carbon dioxide hydrate or its clathrate; the thus produced hydrate or its clathrate is dispersed by the propeller out of the reaction housing to the deep bottom of the sea.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by fixing and dumping carbon dioxide which is disposed in seawater or fresh water satisfying certain temperature and pressure conditions for the formation of carbon dioxide hydrate or its clathrate comprising:

a) a transport pipeline equipped with a compressor;

b) a carbon dioxide source connected to said transport pipeline upstream of said compressor;

c) a plurality of ejector nozzles disposed at one end of the pipeline;

d) a reaction housing which allows seawater or fresh water and carbon dioxide to react with each other and form the carbon dioxide hydrate or its clathrate;

e) a dispersing propeller;

wherein the reaction device is provided with the ejector nozzles and the dispersing propeller at the inlet portion of the device;

the concentration of the carbon dioxide is supplied into the pipeline and is discharged by the compressor into the reaction housing from the ejector nozzles under pressure to form the carbon dioxide hydrate or its clathrate;

the thus produced hydrate or its clathrate is dispersed by the propeller out of the reaction housing to the deep bottom of the sea.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the inner diameter and length of the reaction device is 100 mm and 10 m respectively at a temperature of 2°

C. and a depth of 250 m which is sufficient for the formation of carbon dioxide or its clathrate.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein one of the ejector nozzles comprises a contracting tube, a parallel tube and an expanding tube;

the parallel tube having an opening;

such that when the pressure in the parallel tube becomes low, the seawater is sucked in from the outside through the opening and mixes with the carbon dioxide in the nozzle and a fine mixture of carbon dioxide and seawater is ejected from the ejection outlet.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the ejector nozzles have elongated structure in the direction of the ejection such that the reaction time for the formation of the hydrate or its clathrate is sufficiently long.