Direct densification method and system utilizing waste heat for on-board recovery and storage of CO;from motor vehicle internal combustion engine exhaust gases

• US 9,297,285 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Hamad, Esam Zaki
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANSKE, JASON D
• Application Number:
  US13/980,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20130327024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 602/74, 603/10, 603/24
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/012 Diesel engines and lean burn gasoline engines
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2258/014 Stoichiometric gasoline engines
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/65 Employing advanced heat integration, e.g. Pinch technology
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/002 by condensation
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/92 of engine exhaust gases exhaust or silencing apparatus for internal combustion engines, machines or engines in general, having means for purifying, rendering innocuous or otherwise treating exhaust gases F01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/02 for cooling, or for removing solid constituents of, exhaust by means of electric or electrostatic separators F01N3/01 ; mixing air with exhaust in tailpipes F01N13/082, F01N13/20
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/04 using liquids
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0027 Oxides of carbon, e.g. CO2
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0225 using other external refrigeration means not provided before, e.g. heat driven absorption chillers
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0242 Waste heat recovery, e.g. from heat of compression
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/10 using combined expansion and separation, e.g. in a vortex tube, "Ranque tube" or a "cyclonic fluid separator", i.e. combination of an isentropic nozzle and a cyclonic separator; Centrifugal separation
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2205/20 using solidification of components
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2220/82 Separating low boiling, i.e. more volatile components, e.g. He, H2, CO, Air gases, CH4
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/04 Compressor cooling arrangement, e.g. inter- or after-stage cooling or condensate removal
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2230/30 Compression of the feed stream
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2240/90 Hot gas waste turbine of an indirect heated gas for power generation
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2270/906 by heat driven absorption chillers
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/067 separation of carbon dioxide production of carbon dioxide in general C01B32/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 20/18 : Integrated gasification combined cycle [IGCC], e.g. combined with carbon capture and storage [CCS]

Abstract

A method and system are described for on-board treatment of an exhaust stream containing CO₂ emitted by a hydrocarbon-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) used to power a vehicle in order to reduce the amount of CO₂ discharged into the atmosphere which include:

• • a. a first waste heat recovery zone on board the vehicle for receiving the high temperature exhaust gas stream in heat exchange relation and discharging the exhaust stream at a lower temperature,
    • the waste heat recovery zone further including at least one heat exchanger and/or heat recovery device with an inlet for receiving the hot exhaust gas stream from the ICE for passage in heat exchange relation and an outlet for the cooled exhaust gas stream,
    • the heat exchanger further including an inlet for receiving a heat exchange fluid at a first temperature and an outlet for discharging the fluid at a second higher temperature,
    • the heat recovery device including power transmission means;
  • b. a densification zone in fluid communication with the exhaust gas stream discharge outlet from the first waste heat recovery zone, the densification zone including means for reducing the temperature and volume of the CO₂ to at least liquefy the CO₂, and to produce a treated exhaust gas stream of reduced CO₂ content;
  • c. a separation zone in communication with the densification zone and having a discharge outlet for the treated exhaust stream;
  • d. storage zone for receiving the densified CO₂ for temporary storage on board the vehicle; and
  • e. an exhaust gas conduit in fluid communication with the treated exhaust gas stream outlet from the separation zone.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the amount of CO₂ discharged into the atmosphere with the exhaust gas stream emitted by a hydrocarbon-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) used to power a vehicle, the method comprising:

a. introducing the hot exhaust gas stream into a first waste heat recovery zone on board the vehicle and passing the high temperature exhaust gas stream in heat exchange relation with a least one heat recovery device that converts waste heat into electricity and/or mechanical work and/or heat exchanger and discharging the exhaust stream from the waste heat recovery zone at a lower temperature,

b. introducing the cooled exhaust gas stream from the first waste heat recovery zone into a densification zone and densifying the CO₂ by reducing the temperature and volume of the CO₂ utilizing the electricity and/or mechanical work produced by the recovery device, and producing a treated exhaust gas stream of reduced CO₂ content;

c. separating the densified CO₂ and the remaining treated exhaust stream in a separation zone;

d. discharging the treated exhaust stream from the separation zone; and

e. maintaining the densified CO₂ in a storage zone for temporary storage on board the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 which operates continuously following start-up of the vehicle'"'"'s ICE.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the densified CO₂ in step (b) is either a liquid or a solid.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the at least one heat recovery device is selected from the group consisting of a thermoelectric device, a thermoelectric module, a Stirling engine, a steam generator and associated turbine, a shape memory alloy engine, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the CO₂ content of exhaust gas stream is reduced by at least 5%.

6. The method of claim 1 in which ambient air is passed through the at least one heat recovery device and/or heat exchanger in the waste heat recovery zone.

7. The method of claim 1 which includes cooling ambient air prior to passing the air through the at least one heat recovery and/or heat exchanger in the waste heat recovery zone.

8. The method of claim 1 which includes recycling a portion of the CO₂ recovered from the exhaust gas stream to the ICE.

9. The method of claim 1 in which at least a portion of the electricity and/or mechanical work produced by the heat recovery device and/or heat exchanger is used to power auxiliary electrical and/or mechanical systems on board the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1 in which a portion of the CO₂ recovered from the exhaust gas stream is utilized as a refrigerant gas in an air conditioning apparatus on board the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, which includes converting heat into electricity and/or mechanical work by contacting hot coolant in heat exchange with at least one thermoelectric device.

12. The method of claim 1, where the ICE is contigured with an engine block and associated manifold, exhaust pipe, catalytic converter and muffler through which the hot exhaust gas stream passes, and the process includes converting heat into electricity and/or mechanical work by securing at least one thermoelectric device in beat conductive contact with one or more of the engine block, the manifold, the exhaust pipe, the catalytic converter and the muffler.

13. A system for on-board treatment of an exhaust gas stream containing CO₂ emitted by a hydrocarbon-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) used to power a vehicle in order to reduce the amount of CO₂ discharged into the atmosphere, the system comprising:

a. a first waste heat recovery zone on board the vehicle for receiving the high temperature exhaust gas stream in heat exchange relation and discharging the exhaust stream at a lower temperature,

the waste heat recovery zone including at least one heat exchanger with an inlet for receiving the hot exhaust gas stream from the ICE for passage in heat exchange relation and an outlet for the cooled exhaust gas stream, the heat exchanger including at least one heat recovery device that converts waste heat into electricity and/or mechanical work,

the heat exchanger further including an inlet for receiving a heat exchange fluid at a first temperature and an outlet for discharging the fluid at a second higher temperature;

b. a densification zone in fluid communication with the exhaust gas stream discharge outlet from the first waste heat recovery zone, the densification zone including apparatus for reducing the temperature and volume of the CO₂ utilizing electricity and/or mechanical work produced in step (a), and producing a treated exhaust gas stream of reduced CO₂ content;

c. a separation zone in communication with the densification zone and having a discharge outlet for passage of the treated exhaust stream;

d. a storage zone for receiving the densified CO₂ for temporary storage on board the vehicle; and

e. an exhaust gas conduit in fluid communication with the treated exhaust gas stream outlet from the separation zone.

14. The system of claim 13 which includes a diverter valve for regulating the volumetric amount of the exhaust gas stream which passes into the first waste heat recovery zone for treatment.

15. The system of claim 14 in which the diverter valve is controlled by an engine management control unit based on the operating conditions of the ICE.

16. The system of claim 14 in which the diverter valve is controlled based upon the capacity of the apparatus in the densification zone to liquefy or solidify the CO₂.

17. The system of claim 13 in which the apparatus in the densification zone is selected from the group consisting of a fluid-cooled compressor and a refrigeration unit, and a combination thereof.