Closed-Loop Nitrogen Transport System for Polymerization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current polymerization processes face challenges in nitrogen conservation, particularly during the regeneration of feed stream treaters and nitrogen transport of polymer fluff, leading to high costs, NOx emissions, and environmental complications due to excessive nitrogen usage and flare requirements.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing an adsorbent bed, such as a silica bed, to recover nitrogen from treater regeneration effluent streams, reducing nitrogen sent to flare and enhancing its purity, and a closed-loop nitrogen transport system to maintain low hydrocarbon concentrations in nitrogen gas streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nitrogen is used for treater regeneration and fluff conveyance, then effective impurity removal and polymer transport are achieved, but nitrogen consumption increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nitrogen recovery by capturing effluent nitrogen from treater regeneration processes and fluff conveyance systems. The recovered nitrogen is purified through adsorbent beds and compressed for reuse in the same processes, creating a closed-loop system that recovers and reuses nitrogen instead of discarding it to atmosphere.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where nitrogen consumption and effluent composition are continuously monitored. Based on this feedback, the system adjusts regeneration cycles, nitrogen flow rates, and adsorbent bed operation to optimize nitrogen recovery while maintaining effective treater regeneration and fluff conveyance.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If nitrogen is flared to destroy hydrocarbons, then environmental compliance is achieved, but NOx emissions increase and air permit issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effluent nitrogen stream containing hydrocarbons into a beneficial recovered nitrogen product. By using adsorbent beds to remove hydrocarbons and compressors to pressurize the nitrogen, the system transforms what would be a harmful flare stream into a reusable resource, eliminating the need for flaring and its associated NOx emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces intermediary components between the treater regeneration process and the atmosphere: adsorbent beds that mediate hydrocarbon removal from nitrogen, and compressors that mediate nitrogen pressurization for reuse. These intermediaries enable hydrocarbon destruction through adsorption rather than flaring, avoiding NOx emissions while maintaining environmental compliance.
3Loss of substance
If adsorbent bed is used to recover nitrogen from effluent, then nitrogen purity increases and consumption decreases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functional nitrogen recovery systems where the same adsorbent bed infrastructure serves multiple treaters and fluff conveyance systems. The recovered nitrogen from different sources is combined and reused across multiple process points, allowing the system to achieve nitrogen conservation for multiple functions while sharing common recovery infrastructure, thereby reducing overall complexity.
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 solution significantly reduces nitrogen consumption and emissions, lowers operational costs, and improves nitrogen efficiency by recycling purified nitrogen, thereby addressing the challenges of nitrogen conservation and environmental impact in polymer production processes.
Implementation Method 1
an adsorbent bed downstream of the treater, wherein the adsorbent bed comprises an adsorbent operable to adsorb at least one impurity from a treater bed regeneration effluent stream comprising nitrogen
Implementation Method 2
a treatment unit operable to remove hydrocarbons from at least a portion of the nitrogen gas stream comprising primarily nitrogen, to provide a purified nitrogen stream
Data Source
AI summary
A closed-loop nitrogen transport system including a first transfer line configured for nitrogen pressure conveyance of a polymer fluff from at least one upstream vessel to at least one downstream vessel, a second transfer line configured to return a nitrogen gas stream comprising primarily nitrogen from the at least one downstream vessel to the at least one upstream vessel, a conveyor blower operable to provide flow throughout the closed loop, and a treatment unit operable to remove hydrocarbons from at least a portion of the nitrogen gas stream comprising primarily nitrogen, to provide a purified nitrogen stream.