Pyrolytic Emission Looping for Effluent Gas Reuse and Abatement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Effluent gas streams from industrial processes contain pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and toxic air contaminants, which are typically treated as waste and not reused, leading to environmental and health issues.
Innovation Solution
A system for pyrolytic emissions looping that includes dissociating reactors and a gas separating system to separate effluent gas streams into species components, which can be reused as feed gas or used to produce carbon allotrope materials and green energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional remedial measures (scrubbers, filters, catalytic converters, thermal oxidizers) are used to treat effluent gas streams, then pollutant removal is achieved, but the effluent gas stream is lost and not reused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effluent gas stream containing pollutants into a beneficial resource by using it as feedstock for pyrolytic decomposition. The system decomposes hydrocarbons in the effluent to produce carbon allotrope materials (graphene, carbon nanotubes) and useful gases (hydrogen, carbon monoxide), transforming waste into valuable products while eliminating harmful emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the effluent gas stream by subjecting it to pyrolytic decomposition conditions (high temperature, controlled atmosphere). This transforms the effluent from a waste stream into reactants for producing carbon materials and gases, enabling resource recovery instead of mere pollution control.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If effluent gas streams are treated as waste and not reused, then environmental and health problems are addressed through remediation, but resource utilization is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the energy and material content of the effluent gas stream into valuable carbon allotrope materials and combustible gases. By pyrolytically decomposing the hydrocarbons, the system recovers chemical energy in the form of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, and material value in the form of graphene and carbon nanotubes, thereby utilizing resources that would otherwise be wasted.
Solution Approach 2:
The effluent gas stream serves dual purposes: it is both the pollutant to be treated and the feedstock for product generation. The system uses the effluent's own hydrocarbon content as the原料 for producing carbon materials and gases, making the waste stream self-utilizing rather than requiring external resources for treatment and product synthesis.
3Loss of substance
If pyrolytic decomposition is used to convert effluent into valuable products, then resource recovery and waste elimination are achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the pyrolytic processing system into multiple dissociating reactors that can process different portions of the effluent stream or operate at different stages of decomposition. This segmentation allows for modular operation, where each reactor is optimized for specific decomposition tasks, making the overall complex process more manageable and controllable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gas separating system as an intermediary between the pyrolytic decomposition and product recovery stages. This intermediary system separates the decomposition products (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide) from the carbon allotrope materials, enabling efficient product recovery while managing the complexity of handling multiple reaction products simultaneously.
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 system effectively recycles effluent gas streams, reducing or eliminating waste output by converting hydrocarbons into valuable products like carbon allotrope materials and generating green energy, while minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Implementation Method 1
the discharge pyrolytic emissions stream may include molecularly decomposed hydrocarbons, and/or emission byproducts from a pyrolytic process
Implementation Method 2
the pyrolytic emissions stream includes a thermal decomposition. The thermal decomposition may include a decomposition of at least one hydrocarbon
Data Source
AI summary
Pyrolytic emissions often include molecularly decomposed hydrocarbons, as well as byproducts from pyrolytic processes. Unfortunately, legacy processing treats effluent streams, including pyrolytic emissions, as waste that is released into the air-even though such pyrolytic emissions streams often include greenhouse gases and pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter-the discharge of which contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. Disclosed herein are pyrolytic emissions looping systems that include several reactors where each of the several reactors converts different hydrocarbons into different useful end-products, thus providing a way to continuously recycle the effluent gas stream from pyrolytic processes.