Air-cooling cold trap for cooling amine solvent

Abstract

The invention provides an air-cooled cold trap for cooling an amine solvent. The air-cooled cold trap comprises an absorption tower, a desorption tower and a heat exchanger, the absorption tower is provided with a barren liquor inlet and a rich liquor outlet; the desorption tower is provided with a rich solution inlet and a barren solution outlet; a barren solution conveying pipeline is arranged between the barren solution inlet and the barren solution outlet, and a rich solution conveying pipeline is arranged between the rich solution inlet and the rich solution outlet; the barren liquor conveying pipeline and the rich liquor conveying pipeline are communicated and pass through the heat exchanger; and an air-cooling cold trap assembly is arranged on the barren liquor conveying pipeline at the downstream position of the heat exchanger, so that the barren liquor temperature is reduced to a temperature range in which amine solvent volatilization is obviously reduced. By arranging the air-cooling cold trap assembly, the temperature of the solvent returning to the absorption tower is reduced through the air-cooling cold trap by means of air natural convection heat dissipation, and the amine solvent in the carbon capture process is cooled by air cooling, so that the cooling efficiency is improved, and the loss of the amine solution is reduced; the air-cooling cold trap assembly is arranged in front of the absorption tower and can play roles in inhibiting amine volatilization, recycling condensed amine steam, reducing liquid supplementing amount and reducing water resource consumption.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of carbon dioxide capture application technology, and in particular to an air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional amine-based carbon capture processes, after carbon dioxide is absorbed, the solvent needs to be heated (usually using steam) to release the carbon dioxide and regenerate the solvent. However, this regeneration process is energy-intensive, accounting for approximately 60–70% of the total carbon capture cost.

[0003] In conventional carbon capture processes, water cooling systems are often used to cool amine solvents. However, water cooling systems consume a large amount of electricity and water resources during operation, which reduces the overall energy consumption of the carbon capture system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in the related art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents, comprising an absorption tower, a desorption tower, and a heat exchanger.

[0006] The absorption tower is provided with a lean liquid inlet and a rich liquid outlet; the desorption tower is provided with a rich liquid inlet and a lean liquid outlet; a lean liquid conveying pipeline is provided between the lean liquid inlet and the lean liquid outlet, and a rich liquid conveying pipeline is provided between the rich liquid inlet and the rich liquid outlet. Both the lean liquid delivery pipeline and the rich liquid delivery pipeline are connected through the heat exchanger. The lean liquor delivery pipeline is equipped with an air-cooled cold trap assembly located downstream of the heat exchanger to lower the lean liquor temperature to a temperature range where amine solvent evaporation is significantly reduced, thereby inhibiting amine solvent evaporation and reducing amine vapor escape.

[0007] This invention utilizes an air-cooled cold trap assembly, relying on natural air convection or ambient wind for cooling, eliminating the need for additional refrigerated air. This assembly lowers the solvent temperature returning to the absorption tower, thereby cooling and recovering the amine solvent during carbon capture, reducing volatilization, improving cooling efficiency, and minimizing amine solvent loss. This reduces solvent loss and environmental pollution, while also reducing water consumption and some electricity usage. Furthermore, placing the air-cooled cold trap assembly at the critical point before the lean solution delivery pipeline enters the absorption tower minimizes system amine loss without affecting desorption efficiency. It also inhibits amine volatilization, recovers condensed amine vapor, reduces makeup liquid volume, and alleviates the system burden from water cooling.

[0008] Optionally, the air-cooled cold trap assembly includes an integrated body, the integrated body being provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and a cooling chamber being provided inside the integrated body, the cooling chamber being connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet; A guide plate is provided in the cooling chamber along the direction from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet.

[0009] Furthermore, the guide plate is configured in a spiral shape, and the cooling cavity is configured in a spiral shape in conjunction with the guide plate.

[0010] Furthermore, both the guide plate and the cooling cavity are made of stainless steel.

[0011] Furthermore, multiple cooling chambers are arranged in parallel, and each cooling chamber is connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.

[0012] Furthermore, the integrated assembly is equipped with a temperature monitoring and control module, which is configured to monitor the temperature inside the air-cooled cold trap assembly in real time based on PID control logic, in order to reduce the risk of crystallization.

[0013] Furthermore, the integrated body is provided with a drain outlet, and the drain outlet is equipped with an electrically heated drain valve.

[0014] Furthermore, a lean solution pump is installed in the lean solution delivery pipeline located between the heat exchanger and the air-cooled cold trap assembly.

[0015] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall system structure of an air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an air-cooled cold trap assembly for cooling amine solvents according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end face structure of an air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents according to the present invention.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Absorption tower; 2. Desorption tower; 3. Heat exchanger; 4. Lean liquor delivery pipeline; 5. Rich liquor delivery pipeline; 6. Air-cooled cold trap assembly; 61. Integrated unit; 62. Cooling chamber; 63. Baffle plate; 64. Temperature monitoring and control module; 65. Drain outlet; 66. Electric heating drain valve; 7. Lean liquor pump; 8. Rich liquor pump. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0019] This invention proposes an air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents, as described below. Figures 1 to 3 Please provide a detailed explanation.

[0020] An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents includes an absorption tower 1, a desorption tower 2, and a heat exchanger 3. Absorption tower 1 is provided with a lean liquid inlet and a rich liquid outlet; desorption tower 2 is provided with a rich liquid inlet and a lean liquid outlet; a lean liquid conveying pipeline 4 is provided between the lean liquid inlet and the lean liquid outlet, and a rich liquid conveying pipeline 5 is provided between the rich liquid inlet and the rich liquid outlet; a rich liquid pump 8 is provided on the rich liquid conveying pipeline 5 between the heat exchanger 3 and the rich liquid inlet. Both the lean liquid transport pipeline 4 and the rich liquid transport pipeline 5 are connected and connected through the heat exchanger 3. An air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 is installed downstream of heat exchanger 3 in the lean liquor delivery pipeline to reduce the temperature of the lean liquor to a temperature range where amine solvent evaporation is significantly reduced, thereby inhibiting amine solvent evaporation and reducing amine vapor escape.

[0021] This invention utilizes an air-cooled cold trap assembly 6, which relies on natural air convection or ambient wind for cooling, eliminating the need for additional refrigerated air. This assembly lowers the solvent temperature back to the absorption tower 1, thereby cooling and recovering the amine solvent during carbon capture, reducing volatilization, improving cooling efficiency, and minimizing amine solvent loss. This reduces solvent loss and environmental pollution, while also reducing water consumption and some electricity usage. Furthermore, placing the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 at a crucial point before the lean liquid delivery pipeline 4 enters the absorption tower 1 minimizes system amine loss without affecting desorption efficiency. This allows for the suppression of amine volatilization, recovery of condensed amine vapor, reduction of makeup liquid volume, and reduction of the system burden from water cooling.

[0022] In some embodiments, the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 includes an integrated body 61, which is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. A cooling chamber 62 is provided inside the integrated body 61, and the cooling chamber 62 is connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. A guide plate 63 is provided inside the cooling chamber 62 along the direction from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet.

[0023] Specifically, after the lean liquid enters the integrated body 61 through the inlet, it enters the cooling chamber 62 through the inlet. Guided by the baffle plate 63, it flows from the inlet to the outlet in the cooling chamber 62. The outer wall of the cooling chamber 62 is located in the external environment, and the external cold air can directly act on the outer wall of the cooling chamber 62. After the lean liquid passes through the cooling chamber 62, the heat is transferred to the outer wall, that is, the outer wall of the integrated body 61, thereby completing heat exchange with the external cold air. This allows the external cold air to quickly carry away the heat transferred from the lean liquid, thereby achieving the cooling effect on the amine solvent in the lean liquid.

[0024] In some embodiments, the guide vane 63 is configured in a spiral shape, and the cooling cavity 62 is configured in a spiral shape in conjunction with the guide vane 63. The spiral shape can effectively extend the movement path of the lean liquid in the cooling cavity 62, thereby extending the heat exchange time between the lean liquid and the external air through the cooling cavity 62, enhancing turbulence, increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient, and reducing the boundary layer thermal resistance, further improving the cooling effect.

[0025] In some embodiments, both the guide plate 63 and the cooling cavity 62 are made of stainless steel. This avoids corrosion from the amine solution.

[0026] In some embodiments, multiple cooling chambers 62 are arranged in parallel, and each cooling chamber 62 is connected to both an inlet and an outlet. The parallel arrangement of multiple cooling chambers 62 can improve the synchronous cooling efficiency of the lean liquid. In one embodiment, the cooling chambers 62 are configured as air-cooled heat exchange finned tubes, and multiple air-cooled heat exchange finned tubes can effectively increase the heat exchange area.

[0027] In some embodiments, the integrated body 61 is provided with a temperature monitoring and control module 64, which is configured to monitor the temperature inside the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 in real time based on PID control logic, so as to reduce the risk of crystallization.

[0028] In some embodiments, the integrated body 61 is provided with a drain outlet 65, and the drain outlet 65 is provided with an electrically heated drain valve 66. Periodic heating and melting of the air-cooled cold trap prevents cooling crystallization from occurring in the cooling cavity 62 during prolonged use, reducing the need for manual maintenance.

[0029] In some embodiments, a lean solution pump 7 is installed in the lean solution delivery pipeline between the heat exchanger 3 and the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6. By placing the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 downstream of the lean solution pump 7, lean solution can be effectively pushed into the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6.

[0030] Under normal circumstances, the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 can operate under natural convection conditions; however, considering that the natural conditions for air cooling in summer or in specific regions may not be sufficient to meet the air cooling requirements, in some other embodiments, the air-cooled cold trap assembly 6 can also operate under ambient wind conditions or auxiliary ventilation conditions, which are used to compensate for the insufficient air cooling efficiency caused by insufficient environmental conditions.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0032] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0033] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0035] In this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0036] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents, characterized in that, This includes absorption towers, desorption towers, and heat exchangers; The absorption tower is provided with a lean liquid inlet and a rich liquid outlet; the desorption tower is provided with a rich liquid inlet and a lean liquid outlet; a lean liquid conveying pipeline is provided between the lean liquid inlet and the lean liquid outlet, and a rich liquid conveying pipeline is provided between the rich liquid inlet and the rich liquid outlet. Both the lean liquid delivery pipeline and the rich liquid delivery pipeline are connected through the heat exchanger. The lean liquor delivery pipeline is equipped with an air-cooled cold trap assembly located downstream of the heat exchanger to lower the lean liquor temperature to a temperature range where amine solvent evaporation is significantly reduced, thereby inhibiting amine solvent evaporation and reducing amine vapor escape.

2. The air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The air-cooled cold trap assembly includes an integrated body, which is provided with a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet. A cooling chamber is provided inside the integrated body, and the cooling chamber is connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet. A guide plate is provided in the cooling chamber along the direction from the liquid inlet to the liquid outlet.

3. The air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The guide plate is spiral-shaped, and the cooling cavity is spiral-shaped in conjunction with the guide plate.

4. An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 3, characterized in that, Both the guide plate and the cooling cavity are made of stainless steel.

5. An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Multiple cooling chambers are arranged in parallel, and each cooling chamber is connected to the liquid inlet and the liquid outlet.

6. An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The integrated unit is equipped with a temperature monitoring and control module, which is configured to monitor the temperature inside the air-cooled cold trap assembly in real time based on PID control logic, in order to reduce the risk of crystallization.

7. An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The integrated body is provided with a drain outlet, and the drain outlet is provided with an electrically heated drain valve.

8. An air-cooled cold trap for cooling amine solvents as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lean solution delivery pipeline is located between the heat exchanger and the air-cooled cold trap assembly and is equipped with a lean solution pump.

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