Reclaiming apparatus and reclaiming method

• US 9,254,462 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kansai Electric Power Company Incorporated, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kansai Electric Power Company Incorporated, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Iijima, Masaki, Tatsumi, Masahiko, Yagi, Yasuyuki, Ogura, Kouki
• Primary Examiner(s): Orlando, Amber R
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRECHT, BRITANNY E.
• Application Number:
  US13/703,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20130087041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 19/0005 with one or more auxiliary substances
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1412 Controlling the absorption process
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1425 Regeneration of liquid absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/1462 Removing mixtures of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 502/517 Sulfur or sulfur compound removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 502/518 Carbonaceous contaminant

Abstract

In a reclaiming apparatus (106) that includes an airtight container (106a) as an absorbent storing unit that stores a part of an absorbent that absorbs CO₂ included in an exhaust gas and a heating unit that heats the absorbent stored in the airtight container (106a), a part of the absorbent stored in the airtight container (106a) is distributed, and a gaseous body is brought into counterflow contact with the absorbent that is distributed. As a result, since the gaseous body is brought into counterflow contact with a part of the absorbent stored in the absorbent storing unit, an absorbent component volatilizes and is separated from a degraded material, and the absorbent component can be extracted from the degraded material, whereby a loss of the absorbent can be reduced.

Claims

1. A reclaiming system comprising:

an absorber that eliminates CO₂ or H₂S in an exhaust gas by absorbing CO₂ or H₂S into an absorbent;

a regenerator that releases absorbed CO₂ or H₂S from the absorbent discharged from the absorber; and

a reclaiming apparatus that reclaims a degraded material that remains in the absorbent discharged from the regenerator, wherein

the reclaiming apparatus includes;

an absorbent storing unit that includes an airtight container to store a part of the absorbent discharged from the regenerator;

a heating unit that heats the absorbent stored in the absorbent storing unit;

an absorbent distributing unit that forms a circulation mechanism that extracts a part of the absorbent stored in the absorbent storing unit and returns the extracted part to the absorbent storing unit for distribution;

a steam supplying unit that generates steam from the absorbent that is heated by the heating unit;

an absorbent component extracting unit that is disposed in the absorbent storing unit and brings the absorbent that is returned to the absorbent storing unit in counterflow contact with the steam of the steam supplying unit; and

a dry steam supplying unit that is connected to an upper part of the airtight container and supplies dry steam having a temperature higher than a temperature to which the absorbent is heated to the absorbent storing unit, wherein the dry steam supplying unit is disposed above a liquid level of the absorbent stored in a lower part of the airtight container stored in the lower part of the airtight container,

wherein a part of the absorbent stored in the absorbent storing unit is distributed, and a gaseous body is brought into counterflow contact with the distributed absorbent.

2. The reclaiming system according to claim 1, wherein the reclaiming apparatus further includes:

an absorbent distributing unit that extracts and distributes a part of the absorbent that is stored in the absorbent storing unit;

a steam supplying unit that supplies steam generated outside the reclaiming apparatus; and

an absorbent component extracting unit that brings the absorbent extracted by the absorbent distributing unit in counterflow contact with the steam of the steam supplying unit.

3. The reclaiming system according to claim 1, wherein the reclaiming apparatus further includes:

an absorbent distributing unit that extracts and distributes a part of the absorbent that is stored in the absorbent storing unit;

a gas supplying unit that supplies the gas in which CO₂ or H₂S is absorbed; and

an absorbent component extracting unit that brings the absorbent extracted by the absorbent distributing unit in counterflow contact with the gas of the gas supplying unit.

4. The reclaiming system according to claim 1, wherein the reclaiming apparatus further includes a packed bed that brings the absorbent and the steam in gas-liquid contact with each other.

5. The reclaiming system according to claim 1, wherein the reclaiming apparatus further includes:

a pump that extracts and raises a part of the absorbent from the absorbent storing unit; and

a nozzle that causes the absorbent pumped up by the pump to flow down against the steam that rises.

6. A reclaiming method comprising:

eliminating CO₂ or H₂S in an exhaust gas by absorbing CO₂ or H₂S into an absorbent;

releasing absorbed CO₂ or H₂S from the absorbent after eliminating; and

reclaiming a degraded material that remains in the absorbent after releasing, wherein the reclaiming includes

storing a part of the absorbent;

heating the stored absorbent;

bringing a part of the stored absorbent into counterflow contact with a gaseous body while the part is distributed;

distributing the absorbent by circulating a part of the stored adsorbent solution;

bringing steam of the heated absorbent and the circulated absorbent into counterflow contact with each other;

supplying dry steam above a liquid level of the stored absorbent, and

bringing the absorbent, of which a part is circulated, in counterflow contact with the dry steam having a temperature higher than a temperature to which the absorbent is heated.

7. The reclaiming method according to claim 6, wherein the reclaiming further includes:

extracting and distributing a part of the stored absorbent; and

bringing steam that is externally generated into counterflow contact with the extracted absorbent.

8. The reclaiming method according to claim 6, wherein the reclaiming further includes:

extracting and distributing a part of the stored absorbent; and

bringing the gas in which CO₂ or H₂S is absorbed in counterflow contact with the extracted absorbent.

9. The reclaiming method according to claim 6, wherein the reclaiming further includes:

measuring an amount of an absorbent component included in the absorbent by sampling the stored absorbent; and

ending the processes in a case where the measured amount of the absorbent component arrives at a predetermined amount or less.

10. The reclaiming method according to claim 6,

wherein the heating of the stored absorbent includes maintaining a pressure of steam at a predetermined pressure by performing heat exchange between the absorbent and the steam in a non-contact manner.

11. The reclaiming method according to claim 10, wherein the pressure of the steam is maintained at 2 to 3 [kg/cm²G].