Hollow Screw Adsorption Bed for Heat-Integrated CO2 Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to effectively separate and manage CO2 from gas mixtures in oil wells, leading to environmental and operational issues such as corrosion, reduced oil recovery, and increased costs due to the need for careful management of CO2 injection.
Innovation Solution
A screw conveyor adsorption moving bed (SCAMB) system with a hollow screw conveyor that transports adsorbent particles between adsorption and desorption sections, allowing for heat transfer between different temperature zones and utilizing thermal energy for efficient CO2 separation, reducing heating requirements and enhancing CO2 recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CO2 is injected into oil wells to enhance oil recovery, then oil extraction efficiency is improved, but corrosion of metal surfaces and equipment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes CO2 from the gas mixture using adsorption technology. The adsorbent material selectively captures CO2 molecules, separating them from other gases. This extraction approach allows the beneficial oil recovery effects of CO2 injection to be achieved while removing the harmful CO2 that causes corrosion, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity improvement and corrosion prevention.
2Productivity
If CO2 is injected into oil wells to enhance oil recovery, then oil extraction is facilitated, but reservoir pressure is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies adsorption to extract and remove CO2 from the gas mixture produced during oil recovery operations. By selectively removing CO2, the system maintains reservoir pressure more effectively while still enabling oil recovery enhancements, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and pressure maintenance.
3Productivity
If adsorbent particles are transported between adsorption and desorption sections, then CO2 separation efficiency is improved, but thermal energy is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the adsorption and desorption processes into an integrated system where the adsorbent particles cycle between these two sections. The desorption section uses thermal energy to release captured CO2, and this heated adsorbent is then transferred to the adsorption section. This merging of functions allows thermal energy to be utilized more effectively, reducing energy waste while maintaining high CO2 separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses thermal energy from the desorption section. Instead of discarding the thermal energy used to desorb CO2 from the adsorbent particles, the system recovers this heat and uses it to pre-heat the incoming adsorbent particles or to maintain optimal temperatures in the adsorption section. This recovery approach reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining high separation efficiency.
4Productivity
If heating is applied to regenerate adsorbent particles, then CO2 desorption is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers thermal energy from the desorption process and reuse it for regenerating the adsorbent particles. The heat required for desorption is captured and applied to the incoming adsorbent material, reducing or eliminating the need for external heating sources. This approach maintains effective CO2 desorption while dramatically reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted during desorption into a useful resource for regenerating the adsorbent particles. The heat required for desorption is redirected to serve the regeneration process, turning what could be considered a harmful energy consumption into a beneficial feature that reduces overall system energy requirements.
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 SCAMB system efficiently separates CO2 from gas mixtures, mitigating environmental impacts and operational challenges by recycling thermal energy, thereby reducing equipment corrosion and improving oil recovery efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
Adsorbent particles within the SCAMB can adsorb the CO2
Implementation Method 2
Particle transport can be facilitated by a screw conveyor located inside the inner column
Implementation Method 3
The hollow shape allows the gas to flow from the inlet of the shaft to the particles through the holes on the screw, thus creating uniform gas distribution
Implementation Method 4
the moving particles also transfer heat between different sections of the reactor that are maintained at different temperatures
Implementation Method 5
The input of the shaft can receive heated gas for desorption
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods presented herein provide for a screw conveyor adsorption moving bed that separates carbon dioxide from a gas mixture. Adsorbent particles are transported between an adsorption section of the reactor, which can be an outer column, and a desorption section, which can be an inner column. The particle transport is facilitated by the screw conveyor located inside the inner column. The screw conveyor is specially designed to have a hollow screw, shaped as a spiral surface, attached to a central shaft. The screw surface is also equipped with plurality of holes and a flexible edge attachment to seal against the cylindrical surface. The hollow shape allows the gas to flow from the inlet of the shaft to the particles through the holes on the screw, thus creating uniform gas distribution.