CO2 Compression Energy Reduction via Oxygen Extraction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing substantially pure gaseous carbon dioxide from flue gases or other sources require significant power for cooling and compressing the CO2, which is inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the electrolytic regeneration of a spent aqueous scrubbing liquid to produce a gaseous mixture of CO2 and O2, followed by the removal of at least 50% oxygen using a gas separator device, resulting in a CO2-rich stream that requires less energy for compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional cooling and compression methods are used to produce liquid CO2, then CO2 can be transported, but substantial power is required which increases energy consumption and operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes oxygen from the CO2 stream using a gas separator device before compression. By taking out the oxygen component (removing at least 50% of O2 from the gaseous mixture), the system reduces the volume and energy required for subsequent compression, directly addressing the high energy consumption problem of conventional CO2 liquefaction methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary separation of oxygen from carbon dioxide before the compression step. The gas separator device is positioned upstream of the compressor, performing the separation action in advance so that only the CO2-rich stream needs to be compressed, thereby reducing the energy burden on the compression system
2Productivity
If the gaseous mixture of CO2 and O2 is compressed directly, then CO2 can be produced, but the process requires substantial power and is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The gas separator device extracts oxygen from the CO2-rich gaseous mixture, removing at least 50% of the oxygen content. This extraction reduces the total gas volume that needs to be compressed, thereby reducing the power requirement for the compressor while maintaining CO2 production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the compositional parameter of the gas stream by separating oxygen from carbon dioxide. By altering the gas mixture from a 50:50 CO2/O2 mixture to a CO2-rich stream (≥66% CO2), the system optimizes the parameters for subsequent compression, reducing energy consumption while maintaining productivity
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
This approach significantly reduces the energy consumption for compressing CO2 into a liquid, achieving an energy savings of up to 80% compared to traditional methods, while also simplifying the process and reducing operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
the regeneration further comprises generating a gaseous mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the anode chamber by electrolysis
Implementation Method 2
The treatment of the gaseous mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide to remove oxygen from said mixture may be performed using a gas separator device
Data Source
AI summary
There is a method for preparing a substantially pure gaseous carbon dioxide from a gaseous mixture of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2). The gaseous mixture is withdrawn from an anode chamber of an electrolytic cell. The electrolytic cell is fed a spent aqueous scrubbing liquid from a scrubber. The scrubber scrubs a gas [having a first carbon dioxide concentration] with a first alkaline, aqueous scrubbing liquid. The spent aqueous scrubbing liquid is regenerated in the electrolytic cell by electrolysis. Regeneration further has the step of generating a gaseous mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the anode chamber The gaseous mixture has between 66 and 80% carbon dioxide and between 20% and 34% oxygen. The method has the step of treating said gaseous mixture of oxygen and carbon dioxide to remove at least 50% oxygen from said mixture.