Methods for applying microchannels to separate gases using liquid absorbents, especially ionic liquid (IL) absorbents
First Claim
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1. A method of operating a processing system comprising:
- providing a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet;
providing a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel;
circulating an absorbent through the first microchannel and the second microchannel;
receiving a flue gas feed including nitrogen and carbon dioxide through the feed stream inlet;
exhausting, from the first resultant gas outlet, a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the flue gas feed; and
,exhausting, from the second resultant gas outlet, a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than the flue gas feed;
wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; and
,wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4.
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Abstract
Methods of using microchannel separation systems including absorbents to improve thermal efficiency and reduce parasitic power loss. Energy is typically added to desorb a solute and then energy or heat is removed to absorb a solute using a working solution. The working solution or absorbent may comprise an ionic liquid, or other fluids that demonstrate a difference in affinity between a solute and other gases in a solution.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of operating a processing system comprising:
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providing a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; providing a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; circulating an absorbent through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; receiving a flue gas feed including nitrogen and carbon dioxide through the feed stream inlet; exhausting, from the first resultant gas outlet, a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the flue gas feed; and
,exhausting, from the second resultant gas outlet, a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of carbon dioxide than the flue gas feed; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; and
,wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4.
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2. A method of operating a processing system comprising:
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providing a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; providing a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counter flow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; circulating an absorbent through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; receiving a mixture including at least one hydrocarbon and nitrogen through the feed stream inlet; exhausting, from the first resultant gas outlet, a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the mixture; and
,exhausting, from the second resultant gas outlet, a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of the at least one hydrocarbon than the mixture; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 and the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; and
,wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4.
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3. A method of operating a processing system comprising:
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providing a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; providing a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; and circulating an absorbent through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; receiving a mixture including at least one hydrocarbon and at least one contaminant through the feed stream inlet; exhausting, from the first resultant gas outlet, a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of the hydrocarbon than the mixture; and exhausting, from the second resultant gas outlet, a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of the contaminant than the mixture; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; and
,wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T2 is greater than T3 and T1 is greater than T4. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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6. The method of 5, further comprising the act of providing a second Fischer-Tropsch reactor, wherein at least one of the first resultant gas outlet and the second resultant gas outlet is coupled to an inlet of the second Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
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7. A method of operating a processing system comprising:
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providing a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; providing a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; circulating an absorbent through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; receiving a mixture including nitrogen and oxygen through the feed stream inlet; exhausting, from the first resultant gas outlet, a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of nitrogen than the mixture; and
,exhausting, from the second resultant gas outlet, a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of oxygen than the mixture; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; and
,wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T3 is greater than T2, T4 is greater than T1, and T2 is greater than T4.
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8. A method of operating a processing system comprising:
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providing a first microchannel including a first absorbent inlet, a first absorbent outlet, a feed stream inlet, and a first resultant gas outlet; providing a second microchannel including a second absorbent inlet, a second absorbent outlet, and a second resultant gas outlet, the second microchannel being arranged in a counterflow arrangement relative to the first microchannel; circulating an absorbent through the first microchannel and the second microchannel; receiving a mixture including at least one hydrocarbon and at least one contaminant through the feed stream inlet; exhausting, from the first resultant gas outlet, a first resultant gas having a higher concentration of the hydrocarbon than the mixture; and
,exhausting, from the second resultant gas outlet, a second resultant gas having a higher concentration of the contaminant than the mixture; wherein the absorbent has a temperature T1 at the first inlet, a temperature T2 at the first outlet, a temperature T3 at the second inlet, and a temperature T4 at the second outlet; and
,wherein at least one of the following conditions is satisfied;
T3 is greater than T2, T4 is greater than T1, and T2 is greater than T4. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. The method of 10, further comprising the act of providing a second Fischer-Tropsch reactor, wherein at least one of the first resultant gas outlet and the second resultant gas outlet is coupled to an inlet of the second Fischer-Tropsch reactor.
Specification