Low-Pressure Drop Particle Adsorbent Bed for CO2 Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas separation technologies face challenges in achieving low pressure drop while maintaining high mass transfer rates, especially for trace components like CO2 in air, due to the large air volumes required for capture, which increases energy costs and complicates system design.
Innovation Solution
A particulate sorbent bed structure with loose amine-modified sorbent material arranged in stacked layers between flexible fabric sheets, allowing gas flow through the sorbent material layers to enhance mass transfer and reduce pressure drop, utilizing a cyclic adsorption/desorption process for efficient CO2 capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional packed bed columns or fluidized beds are used for gas separation, then mass transfer rates are improved, but pressure drop increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sorbent bed is divided into multiple thin layers (each a few millimeters thick) separated by permeable support structures. This segmentation allows gas to flow through multiple pathways simultaneously, reducing the pressure drop across each individual layer while maintaining high overall mass transfer rates through the cumulative effect of multiple layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a traditional vertical packed bed configuration to a horizontal layered structure with permeable supports. This dimensional change allows gas flow to occur in multiple directions (through the sorbent layers and through the permeable supports), effectively adding flow pathways in the horizontal dimension to reduce pressure drop while maintaining mass transfer efficiency.
2Reliability
If thick sorbent layers are used to increase durability and reduce manufacturing costs, then structural stability is improved, but pressure drop increases
Solution Approach 1:
Thick sorbent layers are segmented into thinner sub-layers separated by permeable support structures. Each thin sub-layer maintains low pressure drop, while the stacked arrangement of multiple sub-layers provides the overall structural stability and durability of thicker layers. The permeable supports distribute mechanical loads and prevent channeling effects.
Solution Approach 2:
Permeable support structures (thin films or mesh structures) are used to provide mechanical support for thick sorbent layers while allowing gas flow through them. These thin film supports maintain the structural integrity of thick sorbent configurations without significantly increasing pressure drop, as they provide structural stability with minimal flow resistance.
3Productivity
If large air volumes are processed for CO2 capture, then capture capacity is improved, but energy consumption increases due to pumping requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The large air volume processing is segmented into multiple parallel flow pathways through the layered structure. Each layer processes a portion of the gas stream with low pressure drop, allowing large-scale CO2 capture capacity while minimizing the energy required for gas pumping through the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas flow is distributed across multiple horizontal layers with permeable supports, creating additional flow dimensions. This allows large air volumes to be processed in parallel through multiple layers simultaneously, increasing capture capacity while maintaining low pressure drop and reducing pumping energy requirements compared to a single vertical column.
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 structure achieves high mass transfer rates of CO2 with low pressure drop, reducing energy requirements and enabling economically feasible CO2 capture from large air volumes, with the ability to handle thick sorbent layers for increased durability and reduced manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
a portion of the CO2 contained in the air is chemically bound at the amine functionalized surface of the sorbent
Implementation Method 2
CO2 contained in the air is chemically bound at the amine functionalized surface of the sorbent
Implementation Method 3
the previously captured carbon dioxide is removed from the sorbent material and obtained in a concentrated form
Implementation Method 4
During the subsequent desorption, the material is heated to about 50-110° C. and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide surrounding the sorbent is reduced by applying a vacuum
Data Source
AI summary
A gas separation unit for the separation of carbon dioxide from air is proposed for use in a cyclic adsorption/desorption process and using a loose particulate sorbent material. Sorbent material is arranged in at least two stacked layers, and each layer comprises two sheets of a flexible fabric material which is gas permeable but impermeable to the loose sorbent material. The sheets are arranged parallel defining an inlet face and an outlet face, are arranged with a distance in the range of 0.5-2.5 cm, and are enclosing a cavity in which the sorbent material is located. Said layers are arranged in the unit such that the inflow passes through the inlet face, subsequently through the particular sorbent material located in the cavity of the respective layer, subsequently to exit the layer through the outlet face to form the gas outflow.