On-Site Sulfur Dioxide Generation for Ammonia Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for capturing gaseous ammonia are costly and inefficient, particularly due to the handling and transportation of concentrated sulfuric acid, and fail to effectively extract nitrogen from industrial and agricultural sources, leading to environmental pollution.
Innovation Solution
The method involves generating sulfur dioxide by burning sulfur on-site and introducing it into an aqueous solution to acidify it, allowing the solution to absorb gaseous ammonia and convert it into ammonium sulfate, which can also absorb carbon dioxide, using aerobic bacteria to process organic waste without external heat, and optionally introducing carbon dioxide to enhance the production of ammonium sulfate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If concentrated sulfuric acid is transported to the ammonia capture site, then the ammonia can be captured effectively, but the handling and transportation costs increase and metal contamination risk arises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating sulfur dioxide on-site before ammonia capture, rather than transporting concentrated sulfuric acid to the capture site. The sulfur is burned to produce sulfur dioxide, which is then dissolved in water to create sulfuric acid locally, eliminating the need for hazardous acid transportation while maintaining effective ammonia capture capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses sulfur dioxide as an intermediary substance. Instead of directly transporting and handling concentrated sulfuric acid, the system generates sulfur dioxide gas, dissolves it in water to form sulfuric acid in-situ, and then uses this freshly prepared acid for ammonia capture. This intermediary approach simplifies transportation and reduces contamination risk.
2Quantity of substance
If conventional ammonia capture methods are used, then ammonia can be absorbed, but nitrogen extraction from industrial and agricultural sources is not optimal, leading to environmental pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful ammonia emissions from industrial and agricultural sources into a beneficial product - ammonium sulfate fertilizer. By reacting captured ammonia with sulfuric acid (generated from on-site sulfur combustion), the system produces ammonium sulfate, which is a valuable agricultural fertilizer, thereby transforming an environmental pollutant into a useful resource.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the captured ammonia by reacting it with sulfuric acid to form ammonium sulfate. This parameter change transforms ammonia from a gaseous pollutant into a solid or concentrated liquid fertilizer product, enabling effective nitrogen extraction and elimination of environmental pollution.
3Ease of manufacture
If sulfur dioxide is generated on-site by burning sulfur, then transportation costs are reduced, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sulfur dioxide generation step from the centralized sulfuric acid production process and relocates it to the ammonia capture site. By burning sulfur on-site and dissolving the generated sulfur dioxide in water, the system eliminates the need for concentrated acid transportation while the added processing steps are confined to a single location, simplifying the overall supply chain.
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 effectively captures gaseous ammonia and converts it into ammonium sulfate, reducing environmental pollution and minimizing costs associated with acid handling and transportation, while utilizing on-site sulfur dioxide generation and bacterial processing to produce a valuable agricultural fertilizer.
Implementation Method 1
burning sulfur on-site to generate sulfur dioxide
Implementation Method 2
introducing it into an aqueous solution to acidify it
Implementation Method 3
the resultant acidic aqueous solution absorbs the gaseous ammonia
Implementation Method 4
converts the ammonia into ammonium sulfate
Implementation Method 5
bacterial processing of organic waste matter
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for collecting gaseous nitrogen compounds into an aqueous solution are provided. The method enables the combination of gaseous sulfur and nitrogen compounds in the aqueous solution to generate ammonium compound components, to include ammonium sulfate. Sulfur may be pressure injected into the solution as gaseous sulfur dioxide. Optionally, carbon may be introduced into the solution as gaseous carbon dioxide. The sulfur may be earlier sourced by a burning of a sulfurous solid. The pH of the solution may be monitored and the introduction of ammonia, carbon and/or sulfur may be halted or constrained while the pH of the solution is measured outside of specified range. The solution may be allowed to age to permit a mix of compounds of ammonium carbonate, ammonium bicarbonate and ammonium carbomate to restabilize and thereby encourage a renewed surge of ammonium sulfate generation.