Hydrate Gas Separation Catalyst Anti-Foam Additive
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas hydrate separation technologies face challenges in accelerating the formation and dissociation rates, and the use of catalysts often results in foaming issues that hinder the overall process efficiency and gas throughput.
Innovation Solution
The use of a catalyst combined with an anti-foaming agent in the hydrate formation and dissociation process, which enhances the rate of hydrate formation and controlled dissociation while minimizing foam formation, allowing for higher gas throughput and efficient separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a catalyst is added to accelerate hydrate formation and dissociation rates, then productivity is improved, but foaming occurs which creates harmful effects and reduces process efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful foaming effect by adding an anti-foaming agent that specifically targets and eliminates the foam generated during catalyst-accelerated hydrate dissociation, allowing the catalyst to continue accelerating the reaction without the detrimental foaming side effect
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-foaming agent acts as an intermediary substance that mediates between the catalyst's acceleration function and the foaming problem, neutralizing the harmful foam while preserving the beneficial catalytic acceleration of hydrate formation and dissociation
2Productivity
If the hydrate formation rate is increased using catalysts, then the process throughput is improved, but the dissociation stage is inhibited by foaming which reduces overall efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful foaming effect into a beneficial outcome by using the anti-foaming agent to eliminate foam, thereby transforming the operational difficulty into a streamlined dissociation process that maintains high gas throughput while improving ease of operation
3Speed
If catalysts are used to accelerate hydrate processes, then the reaction rate is improved, but foam formation creates additional process complexity and operational difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complicating foaming issue from the catalyzed hydrate process, separating the beneficial acceleration function from the harmful foaming side effect, thereby simplifying the overall process while maintaining high reaction rates
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 enables rapid and controlled gas separation, reducing energy consumption and operational complexity, making the process competitive with existing membrane and cryogenic methods, and suitable for industrial-scale gas separation applications.
Implementation Method 1
Catalysts have been found to increase the rate of hydrate formation and dissociation reactions by orders of magnitude compared to uncatalyzed systems
Implementation Method 2
additives, such as catalysts and defoaming agents that both reduce the negative effects of the catalyst and allow for rapid, controlled dissociation of the hydrate
Implementation Method 3
Each hydrate-forming species has a relative preference to enter the hydrate-forming reaction from any gas mixture and each hydrate has a range of cage sizes that can accommodate the guests
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to using gas hydrate (clathrate and semi-clathrate) together with a catalytic formulation, including catalyst and anti-foaming agent, to separate specific gases from a gas mixture. In particular, compound hydrate is formed from a mixed gas feedstock to concentrate one or more desired gas species in the hydrate phase and the remainder in the gas phase. The hydrate is then separated from the gas phase and dissociated to produce a gas stream concentrated in the desired species. Additives that both accelerate the growth of hydrate and facilitate dissociation and separation are added to improve the rate of reaction and, at the same time, eliminate hard-to-break foam produced by the catalyst, thereby enhancing the total throughput of the complete process. The addition of some materials can also result in changes in the density of the hydrate product, which can be useful for optimizing the separation of hydrate from unreacted liquid and/or rejected gas.