Multi-Bed Gas Capture Reactor Design for CCS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas-solid reactors for carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems face inefficiencies due to complex operation, high capital costs, and mechanical stress, particularly in fixed bed reactors, and fluidized bed reactors have issues with retention time variability and sorbent attrition, while moving bed reactors experience pressure drops and fluidization problems with low reactant concentrations.
Innovation Solution
A reactor design featuring multiple moving beds with gas ducts and baffle plates that force gas to flow across multiple moving beds, ensuring effective gas-solid contact and controlled sorbent flow, reducing mechanical stress and capital costs, and maintaining efficient gas flow and sorbent retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fluidized bed reactors are used to ensure good heat and mass transfer characteristics, then mixing efficiency is improved, but retention time distribution becomes too wide and sorbent attrition increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reactor is divided into multiple separate fluidized bed reactors arranged in parallel, each operating as an independent reaction zone. This segmentation allows each reactor to maintain its own controlled retention time, preventing the wide distribution problem while preserving the excellent heat and mass transfer characteristics of fluidized beds.
Solution Approach 2:
A solids circulation system dynamically transports sorbent particles between the multiple reactors and regeneration units. This dynamic circulation enables precise control of residence time for each reactor while maintaining continuous operation, resolving the contradiction between mixing efficiency and retention time control.
2Productivity
If multiple fixed beds are used to handle large gas volume flow, then gas processing capacity is improved, but capital cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple fluidized bed reactors are merged into a single integrated system with common gas inlet/outlet and shared sorbent circulation infrastructure. This combining approach maintains the high gas processing capacity of multiple reactors while reducing the overall number of discrete units and associated capital costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The fluidized bed reactors serve multiple functions simultaneously: gas processing, heat transfer, and sorbent reaction. The shared sorbent circulation system provides universal sorbent supply and regeneration across all reactors, reducing the total number of components needed compared to multiple independent fixed bed systems.
3Loss of time
If moving bed reactors are used to control retention time, then residence time precision is improved, but pressure drops increase and fluidization problems occur with low reactant concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the reaction process into multiple parallel fluidized bed reactors rather than using a single moving bed. This segmentation reduces the gas velocity required in each reactor, thereby reducing pressure drops and avoiding fluidization problems while maintaining precise retention time control through the circulation system.
4Productivity
If sorbent circulation rate is increased to improve reaction efficiency, then productivity is improved, but mechanical stress on sorbent increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sorbent circulation system dynamically adjusts flow rates and distribution to each reactor based on operational conditions. This dynamic control allows optimization of reaction efficiency while distributing mechanical stress evenly across the sorbent population, preventing excessive stress on individual particles.
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 design enhances the efficiency and economic viability of CCS systems by ensuring effective gas-solid contact, reducing mechanical stress on sorbents, and accommodating high gas flow velocities with low pressure drops, thereby improving the overall performance and cost-effectiveness of carbon capture.
Implementation Method 1
a sorbent removes CO2 from a carbonaceous gas
Implementation Method 2
the sorbent releases CO2 into a controlled environment
Implementation Method 3
the sorbent releases CO2 into a controlled environment so that the CO2 is not released into the atmosphere
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a gas capture system that includes a gas inlet arranged to receive a gas flow into the system; a gas outlet arranged to provide a gas flow out of the system; a gas capture region for mass transfer between a gas and a sorbent of the gas; and a sorbent regeneration region for regenerating the sorbent by heating the sorbent so that the sorbent releases a gas.