Process for cold energy utilization from a liquid carbon dioxide receiving facility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial and commercial facilities face challenges in utilizing cold energy and carbon dioxide from liquid carbon dioxide receiving facilities effectively, particularly in providing thermal energy for geologic storage and integrating waste heat from nearby facilities.
Innovation Solution
The method involves harnessing cold energy from liquid carbon dioxide for cooling industrial processes and integrating waste heat from nearby facilities into the liquid carbon dioxide receiving facility to provide thermal energy, thereby optimizing energy use and supporting climate initiative goals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If liquid carbon dioxide is stored in a receiving facility for long distance transportation, then carbon dioxide can be transported from capture facilities to remote carbon sinks, but thermal energy is required to heat the liquid carbon dioxide prior to permanent geologic storage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat from industrial facilities into a beneficial resource by using it to preheat liquid carbon dioxide before geologic storage. This resolves the contradiction by transforming the energy burden into a useful function, eliminating the need for additional thermal energy input while enabling long-distance transportation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the carbon dioxide receiving facility with industrial facilities that generate waste heat, creating an integrated system where waste heat from one process serves the heating requirement of another. This combination eliminates the thermal energy gap and enables long-distance carbon dioxide transportation without additional energy input.
2Loss of energy
If cold energy from liquid carbon dioxide is not utilized, then the receiving facility operates without additional beneficial functions, but the cold energy represents wasted resource that could support climate initiative goals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the receiving facility multi-functional by adding cold energy utilization capabilities alongside its primary storage function. The facility can now serve both as a carbon dioxide storage terminal and as a source of cold energy for industrial processes, thereby reducing energy loss while increasing adaptability and supporting climate goals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the previously wasted cold energy (a harmful loss) into a beneficial resource that can provide cooling for industrial processes. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating energy loss while simultaneously expanding facility versatility through additional useful functions.
3Loss of energy
If waste heat from industrial facilities is not integrated, then the facilities operate independently, but the waste heat represents lost energy that could reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges waste heat recovery systems with the carbon dioxide receiving facility, creating an integrated system where waste heat from industrial facilities is captured and used to heat liquid carbon dioxide. This reduces energy loss while the modular integration approach manages system complexity through coordinated design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts wasted heat (a harmful loss) into a beneficial resource that heats liquid carbon dioxide for storage. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating energy loss through waste heat recovery, with the system integration complexity offset by the dual benefit of energy recovery and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
4Loss of substance
If boil-off gas is compressed and re-liquified, then carbon dioxide can be recovered, but the process is very energy intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary heating to liquid carbon dioxide using waste heat before storage, which prevents excessive boil-off gas generation in the first place. This preliminary action reduces the amount of carbon dioxide that would otherwise require energy-intensive compression and re-liquification, thereby recovering carbon dioxide with lower energy input.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat that would otherwise be lost into a beneficial preheating function, which reduces boil-off gas generation. This resolves the contradiction by enabling carbon dioxide recovery while avoiding the energy-intensive compression process through preventive thermal management.
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 approach enables the efficient utilization of cold energy and waste heat, reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions while supporting climate initiatives by repurposing carbon dioxide for beneficial uses such as enhancing greenhouse productivity and aquaculture.
Implementation Method 1
Heat ingress, from the surrounding environment, will cause the liquid carbon dioxide in the receiving facility to boil and generate boil-off gas (BOG)
Implementation Method 2
waste heat from nearby industrial and/or commercial facilities could also be integrated into the liquid carbon dioxide receiving facility to provide the required thermal energy
Implementation Method 3
The cold energy contained within the liquid carbon dioxide can be harnessed and repurposed for additional beneficial purposes by integrating with other industrial processes
Data Source
AI summary
A method for providing cold energy to one or more industrial or commercial facilities from a liquid carbon dioxide receiving facility is provided. The method includes the steps of unloading liquid carbon dioxide to the receiving facility, storing liquid carbon dioxide in temporary storage, generating boil-off gas from the temporary storage due to heat ingress, pumping and heating liquid carbon dioxide for external use or permanent geologic storage, and utilizing at least some, and preferably substantially all, of the cold energy from the liquid carbon dioxide for cooling one or more processes in the one or more industrial or commercial facilities.