Apparatus and methods for separation/purification utilizing rapidly cycled thermal swing sorption
First Claim
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1. A method of separating a fluid component from a mixture comprising:
- a first step comprising sorbing a fluid component, this first step comprising passing a fluid mixture into a flow channel at a first temperature;
wherein the flow channel comprises a porous sorbent within the channel and wherein substantially all the fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel flows through the porous sorbent, wherein the sorbent is cooled by fluid flowing through a heat exchanger; and
wherein flow through the channel is constrained such that in at least one cross-sectional area of the channel that comprises the sorbent, the height of the flow channel is 1 cm or less;
a second step comprising increasing the temperature of the sorbent, this second step comprising adding energy from an energy source; and
desorbing a fluid component at a second temperature and obtaining a fluid component that was sorbed in the first step, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; and
wherein the first and second steps, combined, for a non-condensed fluid mixture take 10 seconds or less and wherein at least 20% of the gaseous component sorbed in the first step is desorbed from the sorbent;
or for a liquid mixture take 1000 seconds or less and wherein at least 20% of the fluid component sorbed in the first step is desorbed from the sorbent.
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Abstract
The present invention provides apparatus and methods for separating fluid components. In preferred embodiments, the apparatus and methods utilize microchannel devices with small distances for heat and mass transfer to achieve rapid cycle times and surprisingly large volumes of fluid components separated in short times using relatively compact hardware.
107 Citations
104 Claims
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1. A method of separating a fluid component from a mixture comprising:
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a first step comprising sorbing a fluid component, this first step comprising passing a fluid mixture into a flow channel at a first temperature;
wherein the flow channel comprises a porous sorbent within the channel and wherein substantially all the fluid mixture flowing through the flow channel flows through the porous sorbent, wherein the sorbent is cooled by fluid flowing through a heat exchanger; and
wherein flow through the channel is constrained such that in at least one cross-sectional area of the channel that comprises the sorbent, the height of the flow channel is 1 cm or less;
a second step comprising increasing the temperature of the sorbent, this second step comprising adding energy from an energy source; and
desorbing a fluid component at a second temperature and obtaining a fluid component that was sorbed in the first step, wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature; and
wherein the first and second steps, combined, for a non-condensed fluid mixture take 10 seconds or less and wherein at least 20% of the gaseous component sorbed in the first step is desorbed from the sorbent;
orfor a liquid mixture take 1000 seconds or less and wherein at least 20% of the fluid component sorbed in the first step is desorbed from the sorbent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for separating a fluid component from a fluid mixture, comprising:
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passing a fluid mixture into a first sorption region at a first temperature and first pressure, wherein the first sorption region comprises a first sorbent and wherein the temperature and pressure in the first sorption region are selected to favor sorption of the fluid component into the first sorbent in the first sorption region;
transferring heat from the first sorption region into a microchannel heat exchanger and selectively removing the fluid component from said fluid mixture thus resulting in a sorbed component in the first sorbent and a fluid mixture that is relatively depleted in said component;
passing the relatively component-depleted fluid mixture into a second sorption region at a second temperature and second pressure, wherein the second sorption region comprises a second sorbent and wherein the temperature and pressure in the second sorption region are selected to favor sorption of the fluid component into the sorbent in the second sorption region;
transferring heat from the second sorption region into a microchannel heat exchanger and selectively removing the fluid component from said relatively component-depleted fluid mixture thus resulting in sorbed component in the second sorbent and a relatively more component-depleted gas mixture;
wherein the second temperature is different than the first temperature;
adding heat to the first sorbent, through a distance of about 1 cm or less to substantially the entire first sorbent, to raise the first sorbent to a third temperature and desorbing said component from the first sorbent;
adding heat to the second sorbent, through a distance of about 1 cm or less to substantially the entire second sorbent, to raise the second sorbent to a fourth temperature and desorbing said component from the second sorbent; and
obtaining the component desorbed from the first and second sorbents. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A fluid separation apparatus comprising:
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a flow channel comprising a porous sorbent, the flow channel having at least one dimension of 1 cm or less, wherein, in at least one cross-section of the flow channel the porous sorbent occupies at least 90% of the cross-sectional area; and
a microchannel heat exchanger in thermal contact with the flow channel. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
at least one first gas outlet from said first at least 3 layers comprising at least one flow channel;
said at least one first gas outlet connected to at least one second gas inlet to a second at least 3 layers comprising at least one flow channel;
at least one second gas outlet from said second at least 3 layers, wherein each layer comprises at least one flow channel; and
further comprisinga first at least 4 layers alternating with said first at least 3 layers, each of said first at least 4 layers comprising a microchannel heat exchanger; and
a second at least 4 layers alternating with said second at least 3 layers, each of said second at least 4 layers comprising a microchannel heat exchanger.
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67. A use of the apparatus of claim 61 to purify a fluid component from a fluid mixture.
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68. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the flow channel has at least one internal surface and wherein the distance from any point in the flow channel is 0.1 mm or less.
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69. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the flow channel has a height of 0.5 to 2 mm.
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70. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the flow channel has a width of 2 to 25 cm.
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71. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the flow channel has a length of 2 to 25 cm.
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72. The apparatus of claim 65 wherein the promoter comprises Ru.
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73. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the microchannel heat exchanger and the flow channel are adjacent and substantially coextensive thin layers with width and length substanially larger than height.
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74. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the porous sorbent has a thickness of between 100 and 500 microns.
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75. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the porous sorbent has a pore volume of 5 to 8% wherein at least 50% of the sorbent'"'"'s pore volume is composed of pores in the size range of 0.3 to 200 microns.
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76. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the porous sorbent comprises sorbent fibers.
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77. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the flow channel is defined by channel walls that are metal.
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78. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the porous sorbent comprises a core of a large pore structure and a small pore structure on the outer sides.
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79. The apparatus of claim 61 comprising at least two flow channels and a mixing chamber connected to both of said at least two flow channels.
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80. The apparatus of claim 61 further comprising an electrical resistance heater in thermal contact with the flow channel.
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81. The apparatus of claim 62 comprising multiple alternating layers of heat exchangers and flow channels.
- 82. The apparatus of 61 wherein the apparatus is constructed of materials comprising plastics.
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84. A fluid separation apparatus comprising:
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a first array of flow channels;
the first array of flow channels comprising;
at least two flow channels;
each of the at least two flow channels comprising an inlet, an outlet and a sorbent disposed between the inlet and the outlet;
each of the at least two flow channels in thermal contact with a microchannel heat exchanger;
each of the at least two flow channels having at least one dimension of 1 cm or less, wherein the at least one dimension is in a direction toward a microchannel heat exchanger; and
at least one array inlet and at least one array outlet; and
a second array of flow channels;
the second array of flow channels comprising;
at least two flow channels;
each of the at least two flow channels comprising an inlet, an outlet and a sorbent disposed between the inlet and the outlet;
each of the at least two flow channels in thermal contact with a microchannel heat exchanger;
each of the at least two flow channels having at least one dimension of 1 cm or less, wherein the at least one dimension is in a direction toward a microchannel heat exchanger; and
at least one array inlet and at least one array outlet;
at least one fluid conduit connecting the outlet of the first array to the inlet of the second array; and
a valve capable of controlling the flow through the conduit. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 101, 102, 103, 104)
sorbing a fluid compenent in the first array, and, simultaneously, desorbing a fluid component in the second array.
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87. The apparatus of claim 85 comprising alternating layers of heat exchangers and flow channels.
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88. The apparatus of claim 85 further comprising an electrical resistance heater in thermal contact with the flow channels in the first array.
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89. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein the sorbent in the first array comprises a porous sorbent.
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90. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the porous sorbent comprises a core of a large pore structure and a small pore structure on the outer sides.
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91. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the porous sorbent comprises a porous sorbent matrix material within which there are contiguous bulk flow channels.
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92. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the at least two flow channels in the first array comprise baffles and the baffles comprise a porous sorbent.
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93. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the at least two flow channels are defined by channel walls that are metal.
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94. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein the sorbent disposed in the second array comprises a corrugated insert.
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95. The apparatus of claim 89 wherein the porous sorbent has a thickness between 100 and 500 microns.
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96. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein less structural support is provided in regions that will operate at relatively lower pressure.
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97. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein, in the first array, the at least two flow channels and the microchannel heat exchanger are substantially coextensive thin layers with width and length substantially larger than height.
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98. The apparatus of claim 84 wherein, in the first array, a layer comprising the at least two flow channels is adjacent to a layer comprising the microchannel heat exchanger;
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wherein, in the second array, a layer comprising the at least two flow channels is adjacent to a layer comprising the microchannel heat exchanger.
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101. The apparatus of claim 98 wherein, in the first array, the at least two flow channels are straight and comprise an obstructed open channel.
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102. The apparatus of claim 101 wherein, in the first array, a distance from any point in the open channels to an internal surface of the flow channels is 0.1 mm or less.
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103. The apparatus of claim 101 wherein, in the first array, wherein the open channels have a height of less than 2 mm.
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104. The apparatus of claim 103 wherein, in the first array, wherein the open channels have a width of 2 to 25 cm.
- 99. The apparatus of 98 wherein the apparatus is constructed of materials comprising plastics.
Specification