Membrane Regeneration for Acid Gas Capture Solvent
Solution Overview
Problem
Current acid gas capture technologies, particularly chemical absorption processes, face challenges such as high energy consumption for solvent regeneration, infrastructure requirements, and hazards associated with high temperatures, which limit their deployment and efficiency in industries like power plants and refineries.
Innovation Solution
A process utilizing a dense, permeable, and selectively membrane to extract dissolved acid gases or capture agents from a liquid solution by evacuation or condensable gas passage, allowing for energy-efficient and safe recovery of pure CO2, reducing energy expenditure and infrastructure needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If steam stripping is used for solvent regeneration, then acid gas capture efficiency is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous hollow fiber membranes with specific pore structures to enable selective gas permeation. The membrane material and pore configuration are designed to allow acid gases to pass through while retaining the solvent, eliminating the need for energy-intensive steam stripping processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operating parameters from high-temperature steam stripping to low-temperature membrane separation. By operating at ambient or near-ambient temperatures with controlled pressure differentials, the system achieves efficient acid gas removal without the excessive energy consumption associated with thermal regeneration.
2Reliability
If high temperature steam stripping is implemented, then solvent regeneration is achieved, but hazards from high temperatures and solvent vapor contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The porous membrane structure provides selective separation at low temperatures, preventing solvent vapor from contaminating the recovered acid gas stream. The membrane acts as a physical barrier that allows only specific gases to pass through, eliminating the vapor contamination issue inherent in thermal stripping methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane process operates in a controlled, low-temperature environment that inherently prevents the formation of hazardous conditions. By avoiding high-temperature operations entirely, the system eliminates the risks associated with thermal hazards and solvent vapor release.
3Reliability
If traditional stripping columns are used, then acid gas removal is effective, but infrastructure space and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes thin-film hollow fiber membranes that provide high surface area for gas separation in a compact configuration. This membrane technology replaces bulky stripping columns with lightweight, space-efficient membrane modules that require minimal infrastructure space and maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow fiber membrane configuration transforms the separation process from a vertical column-based system to a high-surface-area-to-volume ratio structure. By arranging membranes in bundled hollow fibers, the system achieves effective acid gas removal in a horizontally compact footprint, reducing spatial requirements significantly.
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 efficient and energy-saving extraction of acid gases, minimizing energy consumption and infrastructure requirements while ensuring the recovery of pure CO2 for recycling, thus enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of acid gas capture processes.
Implementation Method 1
a dense membrane selective specifically for the dissolved acid gas, or for the capture agent thereof where appropriate, can be used to extract the dissolved acid gas or extract the capture agent
Implementation Method 2
The driving force of the process is high pressure and high temperature. Thus, the evacuation of the acid gas from the permeate side of the membrane is not done by applying a partial pressure reduction of G
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~4
Figure 5A~5C
AI summary
The subject matter of the present invention relates to a method for regenerating an acid gas capture solvent by using a membrane specific to the dissolved gas or to one of the gas-capturing agents in said solvent. The subject matter of the present invention also relates to a device for implementing said method.