Treatment device for treating co2 from a high flow gaseous co2 source and co2 ambient

Abstract

The invention relates to a treatment plant for treating CO2 from a high flow CO2 source (D100), comprising:-at least one CO2 distribution system (D1) having a supply circuit (D10) comprising an inlet end (D11) connected to the high flow CO2 source (D100) for collecting and storing CO2, and an outlet end (D12); -a CO2 atmosphere drying device (C1, C2) connected to the CO2 distribution system (D1) and configured to process the CO2 so distributed during a wood drying operation; and comprising storage means connected on the one hand to the outlet end (D12) of the supply circuit (D10) and on the other hand to the CO2 atmosphere drying means (C1, C2), the storage means (D5) being configured to temporarily store CO2 from the high flow CO2 source (D100) for subsequent processing of the CO2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing device for processing CO2 from a high-flow gaseous CO2 source, and more particularly, to adapting the high-flow CO2 gas to supply a wood drying module capable of directly utilizing and storing gaseous CO2. Background Art

[0002] CO2 treatment refers to the entire process including CO2 collection, utilization and storage.

[0003] There have been many advances in the field of CO2 storage. However, for most CO2 utilization and storage technologies, the CO2 still needs to be purified, liquefied and stored, and its transportation and distribution methods are still limited, both in terms of CO2 purification and adaptability to very high flow rates. For biogenic CO2 produced during biogas production, or more complex CO2 produced at the outlet of a factory chimney, these usually result in very large emission flow rates, resulting in most of the greenhouse gases containing CO2 having to be discharged directly into the atmosphere. In the case of high-flow CO2 sources produced during biogas generation, biogenic CO2 accounts for about 98% of the total volume of the waste gas. In the case of high-flow CO2 sources from industrial chimneys (such as industrial boiler emissions), the proportion of CO2 may only account for 20% of the waste gas.

[0004] A known CO2 storage system is described in WO2020127026, which uses a wood drying chamber under a CO2 atmosphere. However, these systems have significant drawbacks: they can only process low-flow CO2, and are difficult to achieve by deploying multiple units at high flow rates due to high costs. Liquid CO2 supply (e.g., in cylinders) limits existing CO2 storage systems in terms of volume and cost, making industrial-scale high-flow CO2 management extremely difficult to achieve.

[0005] The prior art already knows CO2 sources equipped with gas distribution systems, such as biogas production centers, which have biomethane purification and distribution facilities, including distribution outlets (also known as "waste gas") for the exclusive output of biogenic CO2 - the mass concentration of CO2 in this gas mixture exceeds 98%. However, the disadvantage of such facilities is that the CO2 output flow rate exceeds 40Nm 3 / h, making it unsuitable for storage systems for wood drying under a CO2 atmosphere. The connection between the biogenic CO2 waste gas of the known gas distribution system and the inlet of the storage system for wood drying under a CO2 atmosphere does not allow for controlled and regulated injection while ensuring a controlled drying cycle and a secure and sufficient supply.

[0006] Another drawback of these systems is that, because the CO2 is trapped, the CO2 supply cannot be flexibly adjusted to the needs of the drying system, which sometimes requires continuous gas supply and sometimes only intermittent gas supply during the drying cycle. This requires a connection between a high-flow CO2 source and a CO2 storage system for wood drying under a CO2 atmosphere, and the CO2 flow must be programmed.

[0007] High flow CO2 here means flow rate over 40Nm 3 Any CO2 flow rate of / h.

[0008] CO2 sequestration here refers to any displacement reaction or chemical reaction of CO2 between CO2 / wood polymers / water, or stable complexation or stable accumulation of CO2, or carbonation reaction of wood and its contained water with dry wood / similar acceptor material.

[0009] Wood refers to any lignocellulosic material or similar substance suitable for CO2 storage.

[0010] As non-limiting examples, a high-flow CO2 source can be a biogas production plant allowing the use of biogenic CO2, an industrial plant of the boiler type emitting a gas mixture containing in particular CO2 to the atmosphere, or a plant whose CO2 production is capable of producing more than 40 Nm 3 Any other industrial complex with a CO2 flow rate of 1.5 t / h. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0012] The present invention relates to a processing device for processing CO2 from a high-flow CO2 source, include: - at least one CO2 distribution system having a supply circuit comprising an inlet end connected to a high-flow CO2 source for collecting and storing CO2 from the CO2 source and an outlet end for supplying a CO2 atmosphere drying device; - a CO2 atmosphere drying device connected to the CO2 distribution system and configured to process the CO2 thus distributed during the wood drying operation.

[0013] According to the general definition of the present invention, the CO2 distribution system also includes a storage device, which is connected to the outlet end of the supply circuit on the one hand and to the CO2 atmosphere drying device on the other hand, and is configured to temporarily store CO2 from a high-flow CO2 source for subsequent processing of the CO2.

[0014] Advantageously, the device according to the present invention can control the distribution of CO2 and realize the time-sequential management of CO2 storage and drying operations. When the CO2 supply from the high-flow CO2 source is interrupted, or when the available flow of the CO2 source far exceeds the instantaneous demand of the drying equipment, the storage device can supply CO2 to the drying device, while supporting multiple groups of CO2 atmosphere drying devices to be used in the same set of equipment. This expansion makes it possible to handle high-flow CO2. The storage device can also be used as a supply source for any other gaseous CO2 present in the stored gas mixture for purification or distribution systems.

[0015] Advantageously, the distribution system according to the invention also allows the processing of CO 2 without affecting the operation of high flow CO 2 sources.

[0016] Furthermore, the device allows controlling the CO2 supply parameters in the drying units while limiting the electrical energy required to operate multiple drying units.

[0017] In practice, the CO2 atmosphere drying device includes at least two drying modules, and the drying modules are configured to seal the used CO2 in the wood.

[0018] According to an embodiment, a plurality of drying modules are arranged in parallel.

[0019] According to an alternative embodiment, a plurality of drying modules are arranged in series.

[0020] According to an alternative embodiment, a plurality of drying modules are arranged in series and in parallel.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the CO2 storage device includes at least one buffer tank configured to temporarily store CO2 supplied from a high-flow CO2 source via a gas supply solenoid valve and serve as a secondary CO2 supply source to supply gas to the CO2 atmosphere drying module or any other CO2 utilization module.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the CO2 distribution system further comprises a pressurizing device connected to an outlet of the high-flow CO2 source, configured to allow collecting CO2 from the high-flow CO2 source and controlling the CO2 pressure and flow in the supply circuit.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the CO 2 distribution system further comprises a pressure sensor device arranged at the outlet of the high flow CO 2 source and before the gas supply solenoid valve of the buffer tank.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the CO 2 distribution system further comprises a gas flow measurement device configured to measure and record the flow rate of CO 2 circulating in the supply circuit.

[0025] In practice, the distribution system further comprises a CO2 / CH4 measuring device configured to measure the proportion of CO2 or CH4 relative to the total inlet flow introduced into the system in the circulating gas mixture.

[0026] As an example, the booster device allows interfacing with a high-flow CO2 supply source and controlling the circulation velocity of the gas mixture in the circulation pipe within a range of 1 to 15 m / s during the CO2 extraction phase.

[0027] In practice, during the CO2 extraction phase, the booster device provides a pressure between 0 and -50 mbar.

[0028] Advantageously, the present invention directly utilizes gaseous CO2, and can directly utilize CO2 emitted through industrial chimneys or other high-flow CO2 sources on site, thereby achieving continuous operation without affecting the production operation of the CO2 source.

[0029] In practice, each drying module under CO2 atmosphere consists of: - a drying chamber comprising at least one hollow cylindrical drying tube, the diameter and length of which are suitable for drying wood of selected dimensions; -CO2 supply device for injecting gaseous CO2 into the drying chamber; -Circulation device; - a heating device for heating the CO2 in the cycle; - a gas circulation device, the injection port and the extraction port of which are advantageously located in the cylindrical body at both ends of the cylindrical drying chamber, allowing the CO2 to be forced to circulate in a closed loop along the length of the drying chamber from one end to the other end of the drying chamber and allowing the atmosphere in the drying chamber to be renewed, and the gas circulation device includes a counterflow module configured to allow the CO2 to circulate in the drying chamber along a first circulation direction and a second circulation direction and to make the heat distribution in the drying chamber uniform; - a CO 2 recovery unit configured to allow separation of water vapor and gaseous CO 2 contained in the atmosphere extracted from the drying chamber during the drying process; - a metering device for measuring changes in physical measurements of the drying module during the heating process; -CO2 supply device; and - a computer control system for controlling the supply means, circulation means, heating means and recovery means according to a program, set values ​​and suitable drying times based on the desired quality of the wood to be dried, as well as processing means for measuring, comparing and, in the event of deviations, readjusting the operating parameters to the set values.

[0030] Advantageously, with the drying module according to the invention, a maximum amount of CO2 sequestered / captured of about 250 kg per cubic meter of wood can be achieved.

[0031] The applicant noted that the maximum amount of CO2 that can be processed by each treatment unit in each drying cycle according to the device of the present invention is 125m3 at standard atmospheric pressure. 3 CO2.

[0032] Furthermore, the computer control system is equipped with an application programming interface API, which is configured to: -Measurement by measuring device to obtain measurement data and parameters of the wood to be dried; - starting a CO2 supply device configured to fill the drying chamber with CO2; - Check by means of a CO2 / CH4 measuring device in the exhaust duct to verify that the CO2 saturation in the circulating gas mixture is sufficient to start the drying cycle; - when sufficient CO2 measurement saturation is reached, the heating device is activated to regulate the humidity of the wood by heating; - If the humidity of the wood is greater than 30%, heating is carried out according to the selected temperature gradient G1 at a temperature limit according to the first set temperature T1 in order to extract free water from the wood to be dried and start the circulation device; If the humidity of the wood is less than 30%, heating is carried out at a temperature limit according to the second set temperature T2 according to the selected temperature gradient G2 in order to extract bound water from the wood to be dried and start the circulation device; - when the humidity is measured to be less than or equal to 30%, in a first stage, the temperature of the CO2 circulating in the drying chamber is stabilized, the recovery device is activated, and then, in a second stage, the temperature of the CO2 circulating in the drying chamber is increased until the measured humidity of the wood reaches a selected intermediate target value Hi, the heating device is activated so as to carry out reheating at a temperature limit defined by a second set temperature T2 of 120° C. according to a selected temperature gradient G2 and according to a specific drying curve of the wood to be dried that allows the extraction of bound water from the wood to be dried; - When the average humidity of the wood measured by the wood humidity measuring device reaches a selected intermediate target value Hi, in a first stage, the recovery device is deactivated and the activity of the heating device is adjusted so as to reduce the temperature of the heating chamber to a selected third stable set temperature T3 according to the temperature gradient G3, unless one of the measured humidity values ​​of the wood is greater than Hi+1%, and the set temperature T3 is maintained for a selected period of time until the measured humidity of the wood is greater than Hi+1%. The value stabilizes and falls within the range of less than Hi+1%; - When the measured average humidity of the wood reaches the final target humidity value Hc, in a second stage, the heating device is deactivated to reduce the temperature of the heating chamber.

[0033] Advantageously, this precise control of the drying cycle, mainly based on the humidity value, also makes it possible to limit the temperature increase and the thermal energy required for the drying cycle, thus allowing optimization of the energy consumption by the heating device and the drying cycle.

[0034] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the CO2 recovery device of the drying module is of the heat exchanger type and comprises at least one cooling group.

[0035] In practice, the CO2 recovery unit comprises at least one cooling group arranged in series for progressively extracting water from the gas mixture, each cooling group being capable of extracting a selected percentage of water from the gas mixture.

[0036] The Applicant has noted that this series configuration makes it possible to control and limit the humidity in the drying chamber, thereby preventing the recovery device from being saturated, and also to limit the duration of each drying cycle and therefore the energy consumed during each drying cycle.

[0037] According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the device further comprises an additional power supply module of the photovoltaic type, which is mainly used, but not limited to, to temporarily compensate for the energy demand of the device when the number of drying modules is large.

[0038] For example, each CO2 atmosphere drying module includes a volume of at least 10m 3 A drying chamber that can be filled with CO2.

[0039] Advantageously, the system according to the present invention enables controlled distribution of CO2 to a CO2 storage system, and this distribution is completely independent of the CO2 supply status of the high-flow CO2 source. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] Figure 1 Schematically shows a CO2 processing device according to the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 Schematically shows an embodiment of the invention comprising two drying modules according to the invention;

[0043] Figure 3 Schematically shows an embodiment of the invention comprising four drying modules according to the invention;

[0044] Figure 4 A wood drying module according to the present invention is schematically shown;

[0045] Figure 5 A drying chamber according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Reference Figure 1 According to the present invention, a processing device for processing CO2 from a high-flow CO2 source D100 includes: at least one CO2 distribution system D1, the CO2 distribution system having a supply loop D10, the supply loop D10 including an inlet end D11 and an outlet end D12 connected to the high-flow CO2 source D100, the supply loop D11 is configured to collect CO2 from the high-flow CO2 source D100 to store the collected gaseous CO2 and supply gas to the CO2 atmosphere drying device.

[0047] The distribution system D1 further comprises a storage device connected to the outlet end D12 of the supply circuit D10 and the CO 2 atmosphere drying devices C1 , C2 , the storage device being configured to temporarily store CO 2 from the high flow CO 2 source D100 .

[0048] "Interim storage" refers to any storage of CO2 for subsequent use according to selected parameters. Without limitation, these uses belong to the group formed by CO2 purification, CO2 distribution, CO2 treatment, CO2 atmosphere drying or any other similar gaseous CO2 use.

[0049] Furthermore, the drying device has drying modules C1 , C2 , each module being configured to perform a CO 2 atmosphere drying cycle.

[0050] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the storage device includes at least one buffer tank D5, which is connected to the outlet end D12 of the supply loop D10 and the CO2 atmosphere drying modules C1 and C2. The buffer tank D5 is configured to temporarily store CO2 from a high-flow CO2 source D100 supplied via a gas supply solenoid valve D3, and is used as a secondary CO2 supply source to supply gas to the CO2 atmosphere drying module or any other CO2 utilization module.

[0051] Advantageously, the buffer tank D5 allows supplying CO2 to the drying modules C1 , C2 according to their drying cycles, thus achieving sequential drying while avoiding CO2 shortages and emitting part of the available CO2 to the atmosphere.

[0052] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the CO2 supply to the buffer tank D5 is performed in the following order, including: - Injecting CO2 from the buffer tank D5 into at least one drying module C1, C2; - Stop injecting CO2 from the buffer tank D5 into at least one drying module C1, C2; - By opening the gas supply solenoid valve D3, CO2 is injected from the distribution system D1 into the buffer tank D5 to maintain Maintain maximum fill volume; and - When the buffer tank is filled to maximum capacity, the injection of CO2 from the distribution system D1 into the buffer tank D5 is stopped.

[0053] The Applicant has noted that the use of a CO2 storage device such as a buffer tank D5 makes it possible to decouple the supply parameters of the high-flow CO2 source D100 from those of the drying systems C1 and C2 while keeping the CO2 in gaseous form without liquefying it.

[0054] The distribution system D1 according to the present invention further comprises pressure sensor devices D41 , D42 , which are arranged at the outlet of the high flow CO 2 source D100 and before the gas supply solenoid valve D3 of the buffer tank D5 .

[0055] In practice, the pressure sensor means D41 , D42 are able to measure the negative pressure upstream of the boosting device D30 and the pressure downstream of the boosting device to ensure that the pressure in the supply circuit D1 allows the CO2 to circulate under optimal conditions.

[0056] Furthermore, the pressurizing device D30 is connected to the outlet end of the high-flow CO 2 source D100 and is configured to control the pressure and flow rate of CO 2 in the supply loop D1 so that CO 2 can circulate therein.

[0057] A high flow CO 2 source D100 such as a biogas production tank has an outlet pressure that does not guarantee that CO 2 circulates at a sufficient flow rate to be effectively injected into the drying modules C1 , C2 .

[0058] In practice, the boosting device D30 has an internal regulation function that takes into account the circulation parameters (pressure, speed) of C2 in the drying systems C1 and C2 and the supply conditions of the high-flow CO2 source D100.

[0059] According to an embodiment, the distribution system D1 of the device according to the invention comprises a gas flow measurement device D43 configured to measure and record the flow rate of CO2 circulating in the supply circuit D10 in order to reversely control the operation of the boosting device D30 and thus maintain the circulation speed and pressure of the gas mixture in the supply circuit D10.

[0060] As a non-limiting example, during the CO2 extraction phase, the circulation velocity of the gas mixture is between 1 meter and 15 meters per second.

[0061] As a non-limiting example, during the CO 2 extraction phase, the boosting device D3 provides a pressure between 0 and −50 mbar.

[0062] A CO 2 extraction stage is any stage aimed at circulating CO 2 from a high-flow CO 2 source D100 to the drying device.

[0063] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the distribution system D1 comprises a CO2 / CH4 measuring device D44 configured to measure the proportion of CO2 or CH4 relative to the total inlet flow introduced into the system in the circulating gas mixture in order to maintain a selected CO2 saturation in the drying chamber.

[0064] Advantageously, depending on the CO2 source, measurement devices can be provided to monitor and control the presence of other gases in the gas mixture serving as the CO2 source. For example, in the case of a biogenic CO2 source, such as a methanogen, this can prevent the methane concentration from exceeding the critical explosion threshold. The critical explosion threshold is defined as the methane concentration in the circulating gas sufficient to cause damage to the supply circuit D10 and the drying systems C1 and C2.

[0065] According to a specific embodiment, when the high-flow CO2 source D100 is an industrial chimney, a CO2 concentration module is integrated between the high-flow CO2 source D100 and the buffer tank D5, which is configured to concentrate the CO2 in the collected gas mixture to a selected weight percentage relative to the selected total gas flow for use in the device of the present invention.

[0066] As a non-limiting example, the selected weight percentage is between 60% and 98%.

[0067] According to the present invention, the distribution system D1 also includes a discharge mechanism 102, which includes a conduit and a solenoid valve. The end of the conduit leads to the atmosphere. When at least one circulation parameter of the gas mixture exceeds the system tolerance threshold, for example, when the methane concentration exceeds the critical explosion threshold, the solenoid valve can be opened to exhaust the distribution system D1.

[0068] Reference Figures 2 to 3 The processing equipment according to the present invention further comprises a CO 2 atmosphere drying device, which is connected to the CO 2 distribution system D1 and is configured to process CO 2 during the drying operation.

[0069] In practice, the drying device comprises at least two CO 2 atmosphere drying modules C1 , C2 connected to a CO 2 distribution system D1 .

[0070] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, each distribution system D1 allows supplying a plurality of drying modules C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 .

[0071] As a non-limiting example, a CO 2 treatment plant according to the invention may comprise a plurality of distribution systems D1 , each connected to a plurality of drying modules C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 , thereby obtaining a scalable solution for the storage of large quantities of CO 2 .

[0072] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5The drying modules C1 and C2 of the device according to the present invention include multiple functional units, including: a heating chamber 1, which includes at least one drying tube for placing the wood to be dried; a heating device 2; a CO2 supply device 3; a gas circulation device 4 for updating the atmosphere in the drying chamber 1; a metering device 5 composed of multiple metering and measuring units, and a computer control system 6 equipped with an application programming interface API.

[0073] The drying modules C1 , C2 have a drying chamber 1 consisting of one or more hollow cylindrical drying tubes into which the wood to be dried can be placed.

[0074] The drying chamber is connected to the heating device 2 via an inlet conduit 206 a and has an outlet conduit 206 b configured to discharge the gaseous CO 2 mixture from the drying chamber 1 .

[0075] In practice, the inlet duct 206a is arranged at a first end of the drying chamber 1 and the outlet duct 206b is arranged at a second end of the drying chamber 1 so as to allow the gaseous CO2 mixture to circulate longitudinally relative to the wood to be dried. As a non-limiting example, the drying chamber 1 comprises an insulated closed pipe with internal atmosphere recirculation.

[0076] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the drying chamber 1 comprises 10 m 3 The minimum volume.

[0077] According to an embodiment, the drying chamber 1 according to the invention comprises a metering device 5 configured to measure parameters from the group consisting of: humidity of the wood to be dried, humidity in the drying chamber 1, temperature of the wood to be dried, temperature in the drying chamber, pressure in the drying chamber.

[0078] According to an embodiment, the drying chamber 1 according to the invention comprises at least one sensor 53 for measuring the temperature and the humidity in the drying chamber.

[0079] As a non-limiting example, the drying chamber 1 comprises two sensors 53 for measuring the temperature and the humidity in the drying chamber.

[0080] According to an embodiment, the drying chamber 1 according to the invention comprises at least one sensor 54 for measuring the moisture content of the wood to be dried.

[0081] As a non-limiting example, the drying chamber 1 comprises two sensors 54 for measuring the moisture content of the wood to be dried.

[0082] In practice, the drying chamber 1 also comprises a conditioning box 61 configured to receive and process the data recorded by the sensor 54 measuring the moisture content of the wood to be dried.

[0083] According to an embodiment, the drying chamber 1 according to the present invention further comprises a sensor 55 for measuring the pressure in the drying chamber 1 , so as to urgently exhaust part of the atmosphere in the drying chamber 1 if the pressure in the drying chamber 1 reaches a critical pressure.

[0084] In practice, each metrological measurement consists of a set value or a set of set values ​​specific to the type of wood to be dried or the application.

[0085] In practice, the critical pressure may be 1.5 bar.

[0086] The drying chamber 1 according to the present invention further comprises a door closing sensor 62 configured to detect a closed state of a door through which the wood to be dried is loaded.

[0087] As a non-limiting example, the drying chamber 1 is cylindrical or nearly cylindrical, 5.5 meters long and 2.4 meters in diameter, and is enclosed in a shipping container insulated with 60 mm thick kapok board. The container is connected at one end to the other by an insulated duct, which is connected to the heating system 2 and four centrifugal circulation fans with a temperature resistance of up to 250°C.

[0088] The drying modules C1 and C2 further include operating devices C1M and C2M configured to operate and control the drying process in each drying module C1 and C2 , corresponding to any device placed outside the drying chamber 1 and capable of controlling the operation of the drying chamber 1 .

[0089] The drying modules C1 , C2 comprise a CO 2 supply device 3 configured to control the injection of a gaseous CO 2 mixture from a CO 2 storage device of the distribution circuit D1 .

[0090] The CO2 supply device 3 includes a pipeline, one end of which is connected to the storage device of the distribution system D1 and the other end is connected to the heating device 2. The pipeline is equipped with a solenoid valve 701 for controlling the injection of CO2 into the drying modules C1 and C2.

[0091] In practice, when the solenoid valve 701 is opened, a command is sent to the high flow CO2 source D100 to supply CO2 to the distribution system D1.

[0092] In practice, the CO 2 supply device 3 further comprises a metering device 5 configured to measure the group consisting of: the flow rate of the injected circulating gaseous CO 2 mixture, the temperature of the injected circulating gaseous CO 2 mixture.

[0093] According to an embodiment, the CO 2 supply device 3 comprises at least one sensor 51 for measuring temperature and circulation flow.

[0094] According to another alternative embodiment, the CO2 supply device 3 comprises at least one so-called "direct" CO2 supply module and a so-called "recovered" CO2 supply module, which are connected to the drying modules C1, C2 via a connection system (30, 31), which includes at least one solenoid valve (EVC1, EVC2) configured to control the injection / stop of CO2 injection.

[0095] Direct CO2 here refers to unpurified CO2 in gaseous form from a high-flow CO2 source, wherein the CO2-containing gas mixture is directly used by the drying module (301) without a phase change of the CO2.

[0096] Recycled CO2 here refers to CO2 from a CO2 source (such as bottled liquefied CO2) or a CO2 supply device.

[0097] In practice, the CO 2 supply device ( 3 ) comprises at least one system for injecting CO 2 from the distribution system D1 into the heating device 2 .

[0098] The drying modules C1 and C2 also include a heating device 2, which is connected to the CO2 The supply device 3 , on the other hand, is connected to the drying chamber 1 via an inlet duct 206 a .

[0099] In practice, the heating device 2 is of the immersion heater type, more specifically of the “electrical line heater” type.

[0100] For example, the immersion heater has a power of 90 kW and comprises an inlet through which the gas to be heated enters, an open cylindrical or nearly cylindrical steel pipe in which the immersion heater is housed, and finally a second gas outlet for discharging the gas heated thereby. The immersion heater also comprises a thermostat allowing the temperature of the immersion heater to be adjusted.

[0101] According to a first embodiment, the drying device 1 comprises a plurality of drying modules C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 connected to a heating device 2 common to the plurality of drying modules C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 .

[0102] According to an alternative embodiment, the drying device 1 comprises a plurality of drying modules C1 , C2 , C3 , C4 , each drying module being connected to a separate heating device 2 .

[0103] The inlet pipe 206 a includes: a solenoid valve 702 and a gas circulation device 4 , and the solenoid valve 702 is configured to control the injection of the gaseous CO 2 mixture into the drying chamber 1 .

[0104] In practice, the gas circulation means 4 of the inlet duct 206a comprise at least one fan 41 which can be adapted to operate bidirectionally in both circulation directions of the gas mixture, ie towards the drying chamber and away from the drying chamber.

[0105] Optionally, the inlet duct 206a includes at least two ducts connected to the drying chamber 1, each duct including at least one fan 41. These fans 41 are configured to operate in a circulation direction, that is, at least one fan operates in a manner leading to the drying chamber 1 and one fan operates in a manner leading from the drying chamber to the inlet duct 206a.

[0106] The heating device 2 is further connected to the outlet pipe 206b, and the outlet pipe 206a connects the outlet end of the drying chamber 1 to the heating device 2, and forms a closed-loop circulation pipeline of the gaseous CO2 mixture.

[0107] The outlet pipe 206 b includes: a solenoid valve 706 and a gas circulation device 4 , wherein the solenoid valve 706 is configured to control the discharge of the gaseous CO 2 mixture in the drying chamber 1 .

[0108] In practice, the gas circulation device 4 of the outlet duct 206b comprises at least one fan 42 adapted to operate bidirectionally in both circulation directions of the gas mixture, ie, towards the drying chamber 1 and away from the drying chamber 1 .

[0109] Optionally, the outlet duct 206b comprises at least two ducts connected to the drying chamber 1, each duct comprising at least one fan 42. These fans 42 are configured to each be in a circulation direction, i.e. at least one fan is operated in a direction toward the drying chamber 1 and one fan is operated from the drying chamber toward the heating device 2.

[0110] As a non-limiting example, the circulation device 4 of the fan type 41, 42 is a medium-pressure single-suction centrifugal fan type, which has a casing and impeller made of steel plate, the fan includes an impeller with forward-inclined blades made of galvanized steel plate, and the fan 51 can withstand the maximum temperature of the conveyed air or CO2 from -20°C to 250°C.

[0111] The circulation device 4 of the inlet pipe 206a is combined with the circulation device of the outlet pipe 206b to form a countercurrent module, which allows the gaseous CO2 mixture to circulate from the heating device 2 to the drying chamber 1 along a first operating direction, and to circulate from the drying chamber 1 to the heating device 2 along a second operating direction, thereby forcing the gaseous CO2 mixture to pass through the drying chamber 1 in two circulation directions to circulate in a closed loop.

[0112] Advantageously, the alternating circulation of CO2 in the inlet duct 206a and the outlet duct 206b in two circulation directions allows the CO2 to circulate longitudinally along the length of the drying chamber 1, while the injection port and the extraction device are advantageously located in cylinders provided at both ends of the drying chamber 1, thereby maintaining the temperature uniformity of the gas mixture in the drying chamber 1, thereby allowing the drying of the wood and the uniformity of the CO2 treatment in the wood.

[0113] The applicant has noted that the use of a countercurrent module, and more specifically, the longitudinal circulation of CO2 in the drying chamber 1 in an alternating manner, makes it possible to limit the presence of liquid water in the drying chamber 1. Therefore, an inclined drying chamber and a gooseneck drainage system can be used to drain the liquid water that may accumulate at the bottom of the drying chamber 1.

[0114] Furthermore, this uniform drying process allows for tangential shrinkage of less than 5% and radial shrinkage of less than 4%, compared to the average standard shrinkage of approximately 10% to 15% for conventional drying methods. The present invention also significantly limits wood deformation, and more specifically, prevents knots from deforming during the drying process. Depending on the application, this reduced wood deformation during drying can result in material savings of up to 20%.

[0115] In practice, the fans 41 , 42 of the inlet duct 206 a and the outlet duct 206 b are coupled to frequency converters which advantageously make it possible to reduce the rotation speed according to the type of wood to be dried, and thus to reduce the flow rate of the circulating gas mixture according to the moisture content of the wood and the temperature of the circulating gas mixture, thereby optimizing the drying uniformity.

[0116] The outlet pipe 206b also includes a bypass 45 for extracting the circulating gas mixture and is integrated with a CO2 / CH4 measuring device 56. The CO2 / CH4 measuring device 56 is configured to measure the ratio of CO2 to the total volume of the circulating gas and the ratio of circulating CH4 during the drying process of the CO2 drying modules C1 and C2, thereby checking the CO2 saturation in the entire circuit of the drying modules C1 and C2.

[0117] Advantageously, monitoring the CO2 / CH4 gas mixture during the drying process allows recording variations in the concentrations of the various components of the circulating gas mixture, thereby allowing adjustment of the operation of the drying module 1 and also ensuring the safety of the drying modules C1, C2 in the event of a sharp increase in the CH4 content.

[0118] In practice, if the amount of CH4 in the gas mixture circulating during the drying process is greater than 3.5%, immediately empty the drying modules C1 and C2.

[0119] The outlet pipe 206b further comprises a metering device 5 configured to measure the group consisting of: the flow rate of the circulated injected gaseous CO2 mixture, the temperature of the circulated injected gaseous CO2 mixture and the humidity of the circulated gas mixture.

[0120] According to an embodiment, the outlet duct 206b comprises at least one sensor 51 for measuring the temperature and the flow rate of the circulated gas mixture.

[0121] As a non-limiting example, the outlet pipe 206 b includes at least one temperature and circulation flow measurement sensor 51 arranged upstream of the CO 2 recovery device 600 and a temperature and circulation flow measurement sensor 51 arranged downstream.

[0122] According to an embodiment, the outlet duct 206 b comprises at least one temperature and humidity measuring sensor 53 .

[0123] As a non-limiting example, the outlet pipe 206 b includes at least one temperature and humidity measuring sensor 53 arranged upstream of the CO 2 recovery device 600 and a temperature and humidity measuring sensor 53 arranged downstream.

[0124] In practice, the outlet pipe 206b includes at least one temperature and humidity measuring sensor 53 arranged upstream of the CO2 recovery device 600 and a temperature and humidity measuring sensor 53 arranged downstream of the CO2 recovery device 600, as well as at least one temperature and circulation flow measuring sensor 51 arranged upstream of the CO2 recovery device 600 and a temperature and circulation flow measuring sensor 51 arranged downstream of the CO2 recovery device 600.

[0125] Advantageously, this arrangement makes it possible not only to monitor the composition of the circulating gas mixture, but also to monitor the activity of the CO 2 recovery unit 600 and its regulation.

[0126] The drying modules C1, C2 according to the invention also comprise a CO2 recovery device 600 arranged at the outlet duct 206b, which allows the separation of water vapor and gaseous CO2 present in the atmosphere extracted from the drying chamber 1 during the drying process, so as to be able to remove the moisture while recovering the CO2 for storage or for direct reuse in the plant.

[0127] As a non-limiting example, a condensation recovery unit 600 is used to reduce the temperature of the water vapor / CO₂ binary gas mixture extracted from the drying chamber 1 to a selected temperature, allowing the water in the gas mixture to condense and then be collected and removed as a liquid by gravity. In practice, the recovery unit 600 allows the internal atmosphere extracted from the drying chamber 1 to be dried by thermally condensing the water vapor on at least one heat exchanger equipped with at least one cooling group. Multiple cooling groups configured in series can be used to increase the dehumidification capacity of each drying module C1, C2. Thus, the system allows the dehydrated atmosphere to be reinjected into the drying chamber 1.

[0128] In practice, each heat exchanger comprises at least one evaporator EV and at least one condenser CO.

[0129] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchanger of the recovery device 600 is only activated when the humidity of the circulating gas mixture is between two threshold values.

[0130] In practice, the heat exchanger of the CO 2 recovery unit 600 is active only during the drying phase and when the measured humidity of the circulated gas mixture is between a maximum threshold value and a minimum threshold value.

[0131] For example, the humidity threshold in the drying chamber 1 has a minimum threshold of 20% and a maximum threshold of 100%.

[0132] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the recovery device 600 comprises a heat exchanger type system comprising at least two cooling groups arranged in series for progressively extracting moisture from the gas mixture, each cooling group being capable of extracting a selected percentage of moisture from the gas mixture.

[0133] Advantageously, a series of cooling groups makes it possible to limit the humidity in the drying chamber 1 and therefore the duration of the drying cycles, thus resolving the performance problems of traditional heat exchangers when the humidity is above a critical operating value, thereby reducing the duration of each cycle, allowing each drying module C1, C2 to operate for a shorter time and reducing the associated energy consumption.

[0134] According to an embodiment, the recovery device 600 further includes a drain port configured to discharge condensed water or condensate, and the drain port includes a water flow meter 57 .

[0135] The water flow meter 57 is configured to record the discharge flow of water to be removed so that the amount of water removed can be correlated to the difference between the initial and final moisture content of the wood during the drying cycle.

[0136] For example, keeping the humidity in the drying chamber 1 below a selected value can shorten the drying cycle for which the CO2 circulation devices 213a, 213b in the drying modules C1, C2 can account for 5% to 20% of the energy consumption.

[0137] Advantageously, the recovery device 600 allows controlling the humidity of the gas mixture and thus the quality of the wood drying, thereby optimizing the drying process and the quality of the material obtained, while limiting energy consumption and maintaining a low temperature difference between the CO2 leaving the heating device 2 and the CO2 coming from the recycling module 206c.

[0138] In practice, the gaseous CO 2 recovered by the recovery device 600 can be stored in a storage device of the distribution system D1 , or directly injected back into the drying chamber 1 .

[0139] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the drying chamber 1 comprises at least one exhaust circuit connected to a so-called "ventilation" duct comprising at least one ventilation solenoid valve 704, 705 for the drying chamber 1, which allows the injection of air from outside the device into the drying chamber and the exhaust of the gas mixture in the drying chamber 1.

[0140] The exhaust circuit also includes a circulation device 4 of the fan 43 type and a CO2 / CH4 measuring device 56, which is configured to measure the proportion of CO2 relative to the total volume of the circulating gas and the proportion of circulating CH4 during the CO2 filling phase of the drying modules C1, C2, so as to check the CO2 saturation in the entire circuit of the drying modules C1, C2 during filling, and is configured to empty the drying chamber 1.

[0141] According to an embodiment, the drying modules C1, C2 according to the present invention further comprise an additional exhaust port connected to the drying chamber 1, the additional exhaust port comprising at least one fan 44 connected to an outlet solenoid valve 703, and a sensor 51 for measuring the flow rate and temperature of the circulating gas, the sensor 51 being configured to be able to measure the flow rate and temperature of the gas mixture during the emptying of the drying chamber 1.

[0142] As a non-limiting example, the circulation device 4 with the additional discharge port and the exhaust circuit fan type 43, 44 is of the medium-pressure single-suction centrifugal fan type, which has a casing and impeller made of steel plate, the fan includes an impeller with forward-inclined blades made of galvanized steel plate, and the fan 51 can withstand the maximum temperature of the conveyed air or CO2 from -20°C to 250°C.

[0143] The drying modules C1, C2 also incorporate a computer control system 6 including an application programming interface API. This API allows management to send instructions to each component of the plant and to integrate the data received by the various metering devices 5 in order to adjust the instructions sent to the various components of the plant.

[0144] The computer control system 6 is configured to control the CO2 supply device 3, the circulation device 4, the heating device 2 and the recovery device 600 according to a program, set values ​​and an appropriate drying time based on the required quality of the wood to be dried, as well as processing means for measuring, comparing and readjusting the operating parameters to the set values ​​in the event of deviations.

[0145] In practice, the computer control system 6 is equipped with an application programming interface API, which is configured to: -Measurement is performed by the metering device 5 to obtain metering data and parameters of the wood to be dried; - starting the CO2 supply device 3 configured to fill the drying chamber 1 with CO2; - a check by means of a CO2 / CH4 measuring device 56 in the exhaust duct to verify that the CO2 saturation in the circulating gas mixture is sufficient to start the drying cycle; - When sufficient CO2 measurement saturation is reached, the heating device 2 is activated to adjust the humidity of the wood by heating; If the humidity of the wood is greater than 30%, heating is carried out according to the selected temperature gradient G1 at a temperature limit according to the first set temperature T1 in order to extract free water from the wood to be dried and to start the circulation devices 203a, 203b; - If the humidity of the wood is less than 30%, heating is carried out according to the selected temperature gradient G2 at a temperature limit according to the first set temperature T2 in order to extract bound water from the wood to be dried and to start the circulation devices 203a, 203b; - when the humidity is measured to be less than or equal to 30%, in a first stage, the temperature of the CO2 circulating in the drying chamber 1 is stabilized, the recovery device 600 is activated, and then, in a second stage, the temperature of the CO2 circulating in the drying chamber 1 is increased until the measured humidity of the wood reaches a selected intermediate target value Hi, the heating device 2 is activated so as to carry out reheating at a temperature limit defined by a second set temperature T2 of 120° C. according to a selected temperature gradient G2 and according to a specific drying curve of the wood to be dried that allows the extraction of bound water from the wood to be dried; - when the average humidity of the wood measured by the wood humidity measuring device 54 reaches a selected intermediate target value Hi, in a first stage, the recovery device 600 is deactivated and the activity of the heating device 2 is adjusted so as to reduce the temperature of the heating chamber 1 to a selected third stable set temperature T3 according to the temperature gradient G3, unless one of the measured humidity values ​​of the wood is greater than Hi+1%, and said set temperature T3 is maintained for a selected period of time until the measured humidity value of the wood greater than Hi+1% stabilizes and falls within a range of values ​​less than Hi+1%; When the measured average humidity of the wood reaches the final target humidity value Hc, in a second phase, the heating device 1 is deactivated to reduce the temperature of the heating chamber 1 . The set temperatures T1 and T2 are temperature limits that each drying module C1 , C2 must not exceed during each phase.

[0146] Furthermore, each transition from one step to another depends only on the applicable humidity target for the current step.

[0147] In practice, the selected value range HX is defined as ±2% of the selected humidity value.

[0148] In practice, the set temperature T2 is less than or equal to 120°C.

[0149] According to an embodiment of the invention, the computer control system is also configured to control the CO2 dehumidification according to the minimum (20%) and maximum (100%) values ​​of the atmospheric humidity of the drying chamber 1. This phase is a continuous process and is independent of the initial humidity of the wood.

[0150] In practice, during the drying process, if the pressure measuring sensor 55 in the drying chamber 1 detects a pressure lower than 15% of atmospheric pressure for a selected period of time, the computer control system 6 opens the solenoid valve 701 of the CO2 supply device 3 to inject fresh CO2. The drying modules C1, C2 also include at least one environmental sensor arranged outside the module and capable of recording the temperature and humidity in the environment surrounding the drying module.

[0151] In practice, the drying modules C1 , C2 also include an energy consumption meter.

[0152] The computer control system 6 also allows monitoring, measuring and recording of all metered values ​​in tables (including energy consumption), as well as emergency procedures (stop and do not resume drying or stop but resume drying).

[0153] In addition, any examples of devices used are only specific examples of devices that can be used to implement the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that these examples are not restrictive and are not limited to the examples mentioned, but include any examples of devices that can provide the same technical effects after implementation.

Claims

1. A processing device for treating CO2 from a high-flow CO2 source (D100), comprising: - at least one CO2 distribution system (D1) having a supply circuit (D10), said supply circuit (D10) comprising an inlet end (D11) connected to said high flow CO2 source (D100) for collecting and storing CO2 from said CO2 source, and an outlet end (D12); - a CO2 atmosphere drying device (C1, C2), connected to said CO2 distribution system (D1) and configured to process the CO2 thus distributed during the wood drying operation; It is characterized in that the CO2 distribution system (D1) also includes a storage device, which is connected to the outlet end (D12) of the supply circuit (D10) on the one hand and to the CO2 atmosphere drying device (C1, C2) on the other hand, and the storage device (D5) is configured to temporarily store CO2 from the high-flow CO2 source (D100) for subsequent processing of the CO2.

2. The processing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that The CO2 atmosphere drying device comprises at least two drying modules (C1, C2), and the drying modules (C1, C2) are configured to seal used CO2 in wood.

3. The processing equipment according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The CO2 storage device (D5) includes at least one buffer tank, which is configured to temporarily store CO2 from the high-flow CO2 source (D100) supplied via the gas supply solenoid valve (D3) and serve as a secondary CO2 supply source to supply gas to the CO2 atmosphere drying module (C1, C2) or any other CO2 utilization module.

4. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The CO2 distribution system (D1) also includes a booster device (D30), which is connected to the outlet of the high-flow CO2 source and is configured to allow CO2 to be collected from the high-flow CO2 source (D100) and control the pressure and flow of CO2 in the supply loop (D10).

5. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The CO2 distribution system (D1) further includes a pressure sensor device (D41, D42), which is arranged at the outlet of the high-flow CO2 source (D100) and before the gas supply solenoid valve (D3) of the buffer tank (D5).

6. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The CO2 distribution system (D1) further comprises a gas flow measurement device (D43) configured to measure and record the flow rate of CO2 circulating in the supply circuit (D10).

7. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that The distribution system (D1) further comprises a CO2 / CH4 measuring device (D44) configured to measure the proportion of CO2 or CH4 relative to the total inlet flow introduced into the system in the circulating gas mixture.

8. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that The booster device (D3) allows docking with the high-flow CO2 supply source (D100) and controls the circulation speed of the gas mixture in the circulation pipe (D10) within the range of 1 to 15 m / s during the CO2 extraction stage.

9. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 4 to 8, characterized in that During the CO2 extraction phase, the pressure provided by the booster device (D3) is between 0 and -80 mbar.

10. The processing equipment according to any one of claims 2 to 9, characterized in that Each CO2 atmosphere drying module (C1, C2) includes: - a drying chamber (1) comprising at least one hollow cylindrical drying tube, the diameter and length of which are suitable for drying wood of selected dimensions, - a CO2 supply device (3) for injecting gaseous CO2 into the drying chamber (1); - a circulation device (4); - a heating device (2) for heating the CO2 in the cycle; - a gas circulation device (4), wherein the injection port and the extraction port in the cylinder are located at both ends of the cylindrical drying chamber, and are capable of forcing CO2 to circulate from one end of the drying chamber (1) to the other end in a closed loop along the length direction of the drying chamber, and allowing the atmosphere in the drying chamber (1) to be renewed, and the gas circulation device (4) includes a countercurrent module, which is configured to allow CO2 to circulate in the drying chamber (1) along a first circulation direction and a second circulation direction opposite to the first circulation direction, and is capable of making the heat distribution in the drying chamber (1) uniform; - a CO 2 recovery device ( 600 ) configured to allow separation of water vapor and gaseous CO 2 present in the atmosphere extracted from the chamber ( 1 ) during the drying process; - a metering device (5) for measuring the changes in the physical measurement values ​​of the drying module during the heating process; -CO2 supply device; and - a computer control system (6) for controlling the CO2 supply device (3), the circulation device (4), the heating device (2) and the recovery device (600) according to a program, set values ​​and an appropriate drying time based on the required quality of the wood to be dried, as well as processing means for measuring, comparing and readjusting the operating parameters to the set values ​​in the event of deviations.

11. The processing device according to claim 10, characterized in that The computer control system (6) is equipped with an application programming interface API, which is configured to: - measuring by the metering device (5) to obtain metering data and parameters of the wood to be dried; - starting the CO2 supply device (3) configured to fill the drying chamber (1) with CO2; - a check by means of a CO2 / CH4 measuring device (56) in the exhaust duct to verify whether the CO2 saturation in the circulating gas mixture is sufficient to start the drying cycle; - when sufficient CO2 measurement saturation is reached, the heating device (2) is activated to adjust the humidity of the wood by heating; - If the moisture content of the wood is greater than 30%, heating is carried out according to the selected temperature gradient G1 at a temperature limit according to the first set temperature T1 in order to extract free water from the wood to be dried and to start the circulation device (4); If the humidity of the wood is less than 30%, heating is carried out at a temperature limit according to a second set temperature T2 according to the selected temperature gradient G2 in order to extract bound water from the wood to be dried and start the circulation device (4); - when the humidity is measured to be less than or equal to 30%, in a first stage, the temperature of the CO2 circulating in the drying chamber (1) is stabilized, the recovery device (600) is activated, and then in a second stage, the temperature of the CO2 circulating in the drying chamber (1) is increased until the measured humidity of the wood reaches a selected intermediate target value Hi, the heating device (2) is activated to carry out reheating at a temperature limit defined by a second set temperature T2 of 120° C. according to a selected temperature gradient G2 and according to a specific drying curve of the wood to be dried that allows the extraction of bound water from the wood to be dried; - when the average humidity of the wood measured by the wood humidity measuring device (54) reaches a selected intermediate target value Hi, in a first stage, the recovery device (600) is deactivated and the activity of the heating device (2) is adjusted so as to reduce the temperature of the heating chamber (1) to a selected third stable set temperature T3 according to the temperature gradient G3; unless one of the measured humidity values ​​of the wood is greater than Hi+1%, the set temperature T3 is maintained for a selected time period until the measured humidity value of the wood greater than Hi+1% stabilizes and falls within a range of values ​​less than Hi+1%; - When the measured average humidity of the wood reaches the final target humidity value Hc, in the second stage, the heating device (2) is deactivated to reduce the temperature of the heating chamber (1).

12. The processing device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that The CO2 recovery device (600) is of the heat exchanger type and comprises at least one cooling group configured to extract moisture from the gas mixture stepwise, each cooling group being capable of extracting a selected percentage of moisture from the gas mixture.

13. The processing equipment according to claim 12, characterized in that The CO2 recovery device (600) is of heat exchanger type and comprises at least two cooling groups arranged in series, the cooling groups being configured to gradually extract moisture from the gas mixture, each of the cooling groups being capable of extracting a selected percentage of moisture from the gas mixture.

14. The processing device according to claims 1 to 13, characterized in that Also included are additional power modules of the rooftop photovoltaic type.

15. The processing device according to claims 10-14, characterized in that For each CO2 atmosphere drying module (C1, C2), the drying chamber (1) has a 10m 3 The minimum volume.

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