Black Water Treatment via Non-Vacuum Flash and Nitrogen Stripping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing black water treatment systems for syngas production require large equipment and significant energy for vacuum-based flash systems, leading to parasitic energy losses and high cooling water consumption.
Innovation Solution
A non-vacuum flash drum system coupled with a scrub-cooler using a nitrogen pathway for agitation and gas stripping, which flashes black water to atmospheric pressure and indirectly cools it, eliminating the need for vacuum conditions and associated energy demands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vacuum-based flash systems are used to remove dissolved gases from black water, then gas removal effectiveness is improved, but energy consumption and equipment size increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from vacuum conditions to atmospheric pressure operation. The flash drum operates at atmospheric pressure with steam injection, eliminating the need for vacuum pumps and significantly reducing energy consumption while maintaining effective gas removal through the steam stripping mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses steam injection (pneumatic approach) to strip dissolved gases from black water instead of using vacuum mechanical systems. The steam provides both heating and gas stripping functions, reducing equipment complexity and energy requirements while achieving the same gas removal effectiveness
2Temperature
If vacuum-based flash systems are used to cool black water, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but cooling water consumption increases due to water vapor condensation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes steam injection to heat and flash-evaporate water from the black water, achieving cooling through evaporative loss rather than condensation. This phase transition approach reduces cooling water consumption by eliminating the need to condense large amounts of water vapor that would otherwise require condensation in vacuum systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the black water's own water content as the cooling medium through flash evaporation. The water evaporates during the flashing process, taking heat away from the remaining liquid and achieving cooling without requiring external cooling water, thus eliminating parasitic water consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively treats and recycles black water with reduced energy consumption and equipment size, minimizing parasitic losses and cooling water usage while maintaining efficient gas removal and cooling.
Implementation Method 1
one or more non-vacuum flash drums for flashing the flow of black water to atmospheric pressure
Implementation Method 2
inserting a flow of nitrogen into the flashed flow of black water to agitate the flow of black water and to strip dissolved gases in the flow of black water
Implementation Method 3
indirectly cooling the flow of black water
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present application provides a black water treatment system (100) for a flow of black water (110). The black water treatment system (100) includes one or more non-vacuum flash drums (130, 140) and a scrub-cooler (150). The scrub-cooler (150) includes a water pathway with a nitrogen tube and a flow of nitrogen (210) therein.