Soot Removal in Cooling Sectors Using Oxidizing Agent Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Soot formation during the cooling of CO-containing gases in gasification plants, CO2-electrolysis, and RWGS processes leads to heat transfer deterioration, flow channel clogging, and potential metal dusting, resulting in efficiency and economic losses, as existing methods either require high steam content, which reduces gas quality, or involve costly and disruptive cleaning processes.
Innovation Solution
A soot removal process using an oxygen-containing oxidizing agent, such as air or nitrogen, is introduced into the cooling sector, where the temperature is raised above the ignition point of soot, either by interrupting the gas operation or maintaining it, to burn off soot deposits, and an auxiliary heater is used to preheat the oxidizing agent or purge gas to ensure effective combustion without interrupting synthesis gas production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If steam is added to suppress soot formation during gas cooling, then soot deposition is reduced, but gas quality deteriorates due to reduced CO concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of soot deposition into a beneficial cleaning process by introducing oxygen-containing gas to burn off accumulated soot. The soot that would normally degrade heat transfer becomes fuel for a controlled combustion process that restores heat exchanger performance, transforming a persistent harm into a periodic beneficial action.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameter of the gas stream by introducing oxygen-containing gas (air or pure oxygen) into the cooling sector. This parameter change enables oxidation of deposited soot, converting it to gaseous CO and CO2 that can be removed with the gas stream, thereby preventing soot accumulation without requiring continuous steam addition.
2Loss of energy
If the cooling sector is cleaned mechanically to remove soot, then heat transfer efficiency is restored, but plant operation is interrupted and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous operation by performing soot removal chemically through combustion rather than mechanically. The oxygen-containing gas continuously burns off soot as it deposits, maintaining heat transfer efficiency without requiring shutdowns for cleaning operations, thus ensuring uninterrupted plant productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical cleaning methods (which require plant shutdown and physical access to heat exchangers) with a chemical combustion process. The oxygen-containing gas chemically oxidizes soot in-situ within the cooling sector, eliminating the need for mechanical intervention and maintaining continuous operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If specialized cleaning processes are used to remove soot, then soot deposits are eliminated, but operational expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-service cleaning mechanism where the soot deposits themselves serve as fuel for the combustion process. The oxygen-containing gas introduced into the cooling sector reacts with the deposited soot, using the soot's own chemical energy to drive its own removal, eliminating the need for external cleaning agents or specialized expensive cleaning processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful soot deposits into a beneficial fuel source. The carbon in the soot reacts exothermically with the introduced oxygen, generating heat that assists in the cleaning process and potentially recovering some energy, thereby transforming a waste product into a useful resource that reduces operational expenses.
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 method effectively prevents soot formation and removal without additional chemicals, increasing plant availability and reducing operational expenses by maintaining high efficiency and gas quality, while allowing continuous operation and minimizing the need for costly cleaning processes.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling sector/recuperator is heated by the auxiliary heater, thereby heating the cooling sector/recuperator occupied with soot takes place to a temperature above the ignition temperature of soot
Implementation Method 2
an electric energy operated auxiliary heater is installed in the feed gas stream to be heated prior to entering the cooling sector/recuperator
Data Source
AI summary
Soot removal process at or inside a synthesis gas- and/or CO-containing gas production apparatus using as feed gases carbon dioxide, steam, hydrogen and/or a hydrocarbon-containing residual gas and using electrical energy in RWGS processes, electrolyses for electrochemical decomposition of carbon dioxide and/or steam, reforming operations and/or synthesis gas production processes with at least one gas production unit, an electrolysis stack and/or a heater-reactor combination for performing an RWGS reaction and at least one cooling sector/recuperator for CO-containing gas and/or synthesis gas, and also a soot removal assembly. Formation of soot can be suppressed or prevented during gas cooling and soot that is nevertheless deposited can be removed again from the heat exchanger surface.