Carbonic anhydrase system and process for CO 2 containing gas effluent treatment

• US 8,329,459 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Saipem SPA (Saipem)
• Original Assignee: CO2 Solutions Inc.
• Inventors: Parent, Carmen, Dutil, Frédéric
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, LYDIA E
• Application Number:
  US12/939,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20110045576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 435/297.1, 435/299.1, 4352831-3094
• US Class Current: 435/299.1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/84 Biological processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/85 with gas-solid contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Abstract

A triphasic bioreactor for physico-chemically treating a gas is disclosed. The triphasic bioreactor comprises a reaction chamber with a liquid and biocatalysts in suspension in the liquid, for catalyzing a reaction between the gas and the liquid to obtain a treated gas and a solution containing a reaction product. A gas bubbling means is provided in the reaction chamber for bubbling the gas to be treated into the liquid thereby dissolving the gas into the liquid and increasing a pressure inside the reaction chamber. The bioreactor further comprises a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for receiving the liquid and filling the reaction chamber, a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for releasing the solution and a gas outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber to release the treated gas. The bioreactor further comprises a retention device to retain the biocatalysts in the reaction chamber. The invention also concerns a process using the triphasic bioreactor. The triphasic bioreactor may advantageously be used for removing carbonic dioxide from a CO₂-containing gas.

Claims

1. A carbonic anhydrase system for treating a CO₂-containing gas, comprising:

a reaction chamber for receiving an absorption liquid comprising carbonic anhydrase for catalyzing a reaction of CO₂ into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions to obtain a treated gas and an ion-rich solution comprising carbonic anhydrase;

a liquid inlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for receiving the absorption liquid comprising carbonic anhydrase and providing the reaction chamber with the absorption liquid comprising carbonic anhydrase;

a gas inlet connected to the reaction chamber for providing the CO₂-containing gas to be treated into the reaction chamber in order to contact the absorption liquid comprising carbonic anhydrase;

a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber for releasing the ion-rich solution comprising carbonic anhydrase; and

a gas outlet in fluid communication with the reaction chamber to release the treated gas.

2. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 1, wherein the reaction chamber, the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet are configured and adapted to accommodate the carbonic anhydrase free in the absorption liquid.

3. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided on or in supports.

4. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase is provided in the form of a complex.

5. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 1, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in a form that is of sub-micron size.

6. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 5, wherein the system further comprises a filter downstream of the liquid outlet for separating the carbonic anhydrase from the ion-rich solution to produce a carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich stream.

7. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 6, wherein the filter comprises a membrane.

8. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 7, wherein the filter is an ultrafiltration filter.

9. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 7, wherein the filter is a microfiltration filter.

10. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a filter downstream of the liquid outlet for separating the carbonic anhydrase from the ion-rich solution to produce a carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich stream.

11. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 10, wherein the filter has pores with a smaller diameter than a diameter of the carbonic anhydrase.

12. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 10, wherein the filter comprises a membrane.

13. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 10, further comprising a pump in fluid communication with the liquid outlet and wherein the filter is provided downstream of the pump.

14. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 10, wherein the filter is an ultrafiltration filter.

15. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 10, wherein the filter is a microfiltration filter.

16. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 10, wherein the filter comprises a permeate outlet and a retentate outlet, the permeate outlet releasing a carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich solution and the retentate outlet releasing a separated liquid containing the carbonic anhydrase.

17. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 16, comprising further treatment units for receiving the carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich solution.

18. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 17, wherein the further treatment units are selected from decantation units and ion exchange units.

19. The carbonic anhydrase system according to claim 16, comprising a recycle line for recycling the separated liquid back into the reaction chamber.

20. A process using carbonic anhydrase for treating a CO₂-containing gas, comprising:

providing carbonic anhydrase within an absorption liquid;

feeding the absorption liquid comprising carbonic anhydrase via an inlet into a reaction chamber;

contacting the CO₂-containing gas to be treated with the absorption liquid within the reaction chamber in the presence of the carbonic anhydrase, to promote the chemical conversion of the dissolved CO₂ into an ion-rich solution comprising carbonic anhydrase and containing hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions and obtaining a treated gas;

releasing the ion-rich solution comprising carbonic anhydrase from the reaction chamber; and

releasing the treated gas from the reaction chamber.

21. The process according to claim 20, further comprising the step of removing the carbonic anhydrase from the ion-rich solution after release thereof from the reaction chamber to produce a carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich stream.

22. The process according to claim 21, wherein the removing of the carbonic anhydrase comprises filtering the carbonic anhydrase out of the ion-rich solution.

23. The process according to claim 22, wherein the filtering is performed by a membrane.

24. The process according to claim 22, further comprising pumping the ion-rich solution from the reaction chamber to the filtering.

25. The process according to claim 22, wherein the filtering is performed by ultrafiltration of the carbonic anhydrase.

26. The process according to claim 22, wherein the filtering is performed by microfiltration of the carbonic anhydrase.

27. The process according to claim 22, wherein the filtering comprising releasing a carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich permeate and a separated liquid containing the carbonic anhydrase.

28. The process according to claim 27, comprising conveying the carbonic anhydrase depleted ion-rich permeate to further treatments.

29. The process according to claim 28, wherein the further treatments units are selected from decantation and ion exchange.

30. The process according to claim 27, wherein the separated liquid is recycled back into the reaction chamber.

31. The process according to claim 20, wherein the carbonic anhydrase is provided free in the absorption liquid.

32. The process according to claim 20, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided on or in supports.

33. The process according to claim 20, wherein the carbonic anhydrase is provided in the form of a complex.

34. The process according to claim 20, wherein the carbonic anhydrase are provided in a form that is of sub-micron size.