Apparatus for removal of volatile organic compounds from gaseous mixtures
First Claim
1. A volatile solute-transfer system for transferring a volatile solute from a gas-feed mixture to a liquid absorbent, the solute-transfer system comprising:
- (a) an absorption module;
(b)) a porous membrane located within and connected to the absorption module, the porous membrane being wettable by the liquid absorbent, the porous membrane dividing the absorption module into a gas feed chamber and a liquid absorbent chamber, the absorption module having a gas-feed mixture inlet port and a gas-feed mixture outlet port which communicate with the gas-feed chamber and a liquid absorbent inlet port and a liquid absorbent outlet port which communicate with the liquid absorbent chamber, in which the absorption module contains a pressure difference control means for maintaining a difference between a gas pressure of the gas-feed mixture in the gas feed chamber and a liquid pressure of a liquid absorbent in the liquid absorbent chamber substantially within a predetermined pressure range so that an interface between the gas-feed mixture and the liquid absorbent is substantially immobilized at the membrane, to effectively prevent the formation of a dispersion of gas-feed mixture and liquid absorbent in either chamber on opposing sides of the membrane;
(c) a regeneration module; and
(d) a nonporous membrane that is permeable to the volatile solute located within and connected to the regeneration module, the nonporous membrane dividing the regeneration module into a liquid absorbent chamber and a vacuum atmosphere or sweep vapor chamber, the regeneration module having a liquid absorbent inlet port and a liquid absorbent outlet port which communicate with the liquid absorbent chamber and a vacuum outlet port or sweep vapor outlet port which communicates with the vacuum or sweep vapor chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vaporizable solute transfer system for transferring a vaporizable solute from a gas feed mixture to an absorbent liquid comprises an absorption module, a porous membrane which divides the absorption module into a gas-feed chamber and an absorbent chamber, a regeneration module, and a nonporous material which divides the regeneration module into an absorbent chamber and a vacuum atmosphere chamber. The absorption module has gas feed mixture inlet and outlet ports which communicate with the gas feed chamber, and absorbent liquid inlet and outlet ports which communicate with the absorbent chamber. The regeneration module has a liquid absorbent inlet and outlet port which communicate with the liquid absorbent chamber, and a vacuum outlet port which communicates with the vacuum chamber.
65 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A volatile solute-transfer system for transferring a volatile solute from a gas-feed mixture to a liquid absorbent, the solute-transfer system comprising:
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(a) an absorption module; (b)) a porous membrane located within and connected to the absorption module, the porous membrane being wettable by the liquid absorbent, the porous membrane dividing the absorption module into a gas feed chamber and a liquid absorbent chamber, the absorption module having a gas-feed mixture inlet port and a gas-feed mixture outlet port which communicate with the gas-feed chamber and a liquid absorbent inlet port and a liquid absorbent outlet port which communicate with the liquid absorbent chamber, in which the absorption module contains a pressure difference control means for maintaining a difference between a gas pressure of the gas-feed mixture in the gas feed chamber and a liquid pressure of a liquid absorbent in the liquid absorbent chamber substantially within a predetermined pressure range so that an interface between the gas-feed mixture and the liquid absorbent is substantially immobilized at the membrane, to effectively prevent the formation of a dispersion of gas-feed mixture and liquid absorbent in either chamber on opposing sides of the membrane; (c) a regeneration module; and (d) a nonporous membrane that is permeable to the volatile solute located within and connected to the regeneration module, the nonporous membrane dividing the regeneration module into a liquid absorbent chamber and a vacuum atmosphere or sweep vapor chamber, the regeneration module having a liquid absorbent inlet port and a liquid absorbent outlet port which communicate with the liquid absorbent chamber and a vacuum outlet port or sweep vapor outlet port which communicates with the vacuum or sweep vapor chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A volatile solute transfer system comprising:
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(a) an absorption module containing a plurality of microporous hollow fibers through the lumen of which a gas containing a volatile solute can pass and a liquid absorbent which contacts the exterior of the tubes; (b) a regeneration module containing a plurality of nonporous hollow fibers forming hollow tubes in which a vacuum or sweep vapor is applied to one surface and the liquid absorbent containing the volatile solute extracted from the gas is on the opposite surface; (c) pressure control means for maintaining a difference between a gas pressure of the gas and a liquid pressure of the liquid absorbent substantially within a predetermined pressure range so that an interface between the gas and the liquid absorbent is substantially immobilized at the membrane, to effectively prevent the formation of a dispersion of gas-feed mixture and liquid absorbent on opposing sides of the membrane; and (d) means for transferring the liquid absorbent from the absorption module to the regeneration module and from the regeneration module to the absorption module. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification