Freeze Zone Heat Exchange Plates for Melting CO2 Solids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cryogenic distillation technologies face challenges in effectively melting and separating solid contaminants like CO2 from methane in natural gas, leading to uneven accumulation and agglomeration issues within the controlled freeze zone unit, reducing the efficiency of the process.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing hollow tubing integrated into plates within the controlled freeze zone section, where a heating medium at a higher temperature than the solids flows through the tubing to selectively melt the accumulated contaminants, ensuring effective separation and collection of the melted solids from the hydrocarbon-enriched vapor stream.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cryogenic distillation is used to separate CO2 from methane, then the separation of contaminants from hydrocarbons is achieved, but solidification of CO2 occurs at the required cryogenic temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter dynamically during the distillation process. Instead of maintaining constant cryogenic temperatures, the system allows temperature to vary through controlled heating phases that melt solidified CO2, enabling the process to handle solid-forming contaminants effectively while maintaining separation reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements periodic heating cycles within the distillation tower to melt accumulated solid CO2. This periodic thermal action prevents complete solidification blockage and maintains continuous operation, resolving the contradiction between achieving separation at cryogenic temperatures and managing the solidification issue
2Productivity
If heating coils are used to melt accumulated solids in the controlled freeze zone, then solid contaminants can be melted, but uneven accumulation and agglomeration of frozen particles occurs on tube walls and surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is segmented into multiple zones with independent temperature control. Different sections of the distillation tower can be heated at different rates and temperatures, allowing targeted melting of accumulated solids in specific areas while preventing excessive agglomeration in others, thus improving both melting productivity and uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality control by providing differentiated heating conditions to different regions of the controlled freeze zone. Areas with heavy solid accumulation receive intensified heating, while other regions maintain milder conditions, ensuring uniform melting effectiveness throughout the tower and preventing localized agglomeration issues
3Productivity
If frozen particles accumulate on tube walls and surfaces outside the designated accumulation region, then the designated accumulation region becomes less effective, but the heating system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the melting function from a centralized heating system and distributes it to multiple localized heating zones. This allows targeted melting action precisely where solids accumulate, preventing migration of frozen particles to unintended regions while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular heating elements
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 enhances the melting efficiency of contaminant-laden solids, reduces agglomeration and accumulation issues, and improves the separation of hydrocarbons by ensuring that all solid contaminants are effectively processed within the designated region, leading to a more efficient hydrocarbon distillation process.
Implementation Method 1
a heating medium disposed to selectively flow through the hollow tubing at a higher temperature than the temperature of the solids to at least partially melt the solids
Implementation Method 2
at least partially melt the solids
Implementation Method 3
The separation of contaminants from hydrocarbons is difficult and consequently significant work has been applied to the development of hydrocarbon/contaminant separation methods. These methods can be placed into three general classes: absorption by solvents (physical, chemical and hybrids), adsorption by solids, and distillation.
Implementation Method 4
The formation of solid contaminants in equilibrium with vapor-liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons and contaminants at particular conditions of temperature and pressure takes place in a controlled freeze zone section
Data Source
AI summary
A system for melting contaminant-laden solids that have been separated from a hydrocarbon-containing vapor stream in a hydrocarbon distillation tower, comprising at least one plate positioned where the solids form within the hydrocarbon distillation tower, hollow tubing forming an integral part of each of the at least one plate, and a heating medium disposed to flow through the hollow tubing at a higher temperature than a temperature of the solids to at least partially melt the solids.