Low-Pressure Liquid CO2 Production from Recycle CO2 Streams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current carbon capture and sequestration systems require high-pressure pipelines for transporting CO2, which is costly and impractical for offshore oil fields, necessitating the development of methods to produce liquid CO2 for easier and more economical delivery.
Innovation Solution
The production of low-pressure liquid CO2 from high-pressure CO2 streams using a system comprising heat exchangers, expanders, separators, and distillers, which cool and expand the CO2 to reduce pressure while maintaining high purity, thereby facilitating its use in power production and offshore applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-pressure pipelines are used to transport CO2, then CO2 can be transported in supercritical fluid form, but the capital expenditure and transportation cost become prohibitively expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter of CO2 from high pressure (100-250 bar) to low pressure (6-30 bar) by using expansion devices and heat exchangers, transforming the CO2 from supercritical fluid to liquid state. This parameter change enables transportation without requiring expensive high-pressure pipelines while maintaining CO2 in a condensed, transportable state
Solution Approach 2:
The system produces liquid CO2 that can serve multiple functions: it can be transported to offshore oil fields for EOR applications, stored in tanks, or used in other industrial applications. The low-pressure liquid CO2 system replaces the need for specialized high-pressure infrastructure with a more versatile, multi-application solution
2Quantity of substance
If CO2 is captured as a high-pressure stream, then CCS is achievable, but the CO2 requires extensive pipeline networks for wide area delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms CO2 from high-pressure gaseous or supercritical state to low-pressure liquid state through expansion and cooling processes. This parameter change reduces the infrastructure requirements from extensive high-pressure pipeline networks to simpler low-pressure delivery systems, while maintaining the captured CO2 quantity for EOR applications
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts CO2 from the high-pressure stream produced by power generation or industrial processes and separates it into a dedicated liquid CO2 production system. This extraction allows the CO2 to be processed independently into a transportable liquid form, removing the dependency on complex pipeline networks for delivery
3Adaptability or versatility
If CO2 is provided in gaseous or supercritical form, then it can be used in power production, but it requires high-pressure infrastructure for delivery to offshore platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and pressure parameters of CO2 to create a low-pressure liquid form that is easier to handle and transport. This parameter change improves ease of operation for delivery to offshore platforms while maintaining the CO2's utility for various applications including EOR and power production through phase change equipment at the destination
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 method enables the efficient production of low-pressure, high-purity liquid CO2, reducing transportation costs and expanding its applications, particularly in offshore oil production and power generation systems.
Implementation Method 1
cooling the high pressure CO2 stream to a temperature of about 5° C. or less by passing the high pressure CO2 stream through a heat exchanger in a heat exchange relationship with the cooling stream
Implementation Method 2
expanding the high pressure CO2 stream so as to form a low pressure CO2 stream
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide a low pressure liquid CO2 stream. In particular, the present disclosure provides systems and methods wherein a high pressure CO2 stream, such as a recycle CO2 stream from a power production process using predominately CO2 as a working fluid, can be divided such that a portion thereof can be expanded and used as a cooling stream in a heat exchanger to cool the remaining portion of the high pressure CO2 stream, which can then be expanded to form a low pressure CO2 stream, which may be in a mixed form with CO2 vapor. The systems and methods can be utilized to provide net CO2 from combustion in a liquid form that is easily transportable.