Water-Repellent Filter Unit for Amine Mist Capture

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing air pollution control systems face challenges in suppressing the release of amine absorbent with CO2-free flue gas, which can react with atmospheric NOx to form harmful compounds like nitrosamines, increasing the risk of amine absorbent entrainment and mist formation.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a water-repellent filter unit downstream of the CO2 absorption process to collect mist amine absorbent, utilizing a filter cylinder with water-repellent filters and a cleaning unit to reduce amine concentration in the CO2-free flue gas before release, thereby minimizing amine discharge.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If water washing sections are provided to recover amine compound, then gaseous amine absorbent release is reduced, but mist amine absorbent release remains a risk and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamine absorbent releaseVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A porous plate is installed in the absorber to physically separate and collect mist amine absorbent. The porous structure allows gas to pass through while capturing liquid mist particles, providing a simple yet effective solution to reduce both gaseous and mist amine release without adding complex water washing sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention extracts the mist separation function from the complex water washing system and implements it through a simple porous plate structure. This extraction approach isolates the specific function of mist collection while avoiding the complexity of multi-stage water washing sections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Productivity

If CO2 removal regulation is implemented, then CO2 removal efficiency is improved, but the CO2 removal device increases in size and amine absorbent discharge increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCO2 removal efficiencyVSAvoidamine absorbent discharge
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The porous plate provides an effective mist collection mechanism that scales with the absorber size. As the CO2 removal device increases in size for higher productivity, the porous plate proportionally increases its mist collection capacity, preventing increased amine discharge that would otherwise accompany larger device dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Productivity

If mist generation material is contained in flue gas, then CO2 absorption process is improved, but CO2 absorbent scatters to outside and amine absorbent discharge increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveCO2 absorption processVSAvoidamine absorbent discharge
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The porous plate intercepts mist amine absorbent that forms during the CO2 absorption process. When mist generation material is present and enhances absorption, the porous plate simultaneously captures the associated mist amine, preventing it from scattering outside and maintaining low discharge levels despite intensified absorption activity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

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 water-repellent filter effectively reduces the amine concentration in the gas diffused to the atmosphere, enhancing the system's ability to suppress amine absorbent release and prevent harmful reactions, thus improving air pollution control efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a water-repellent filter unit that is disposed on a gas flow downstream side of the CO2 absorption unit and collects mist amine absorbent accompanied by a CO2-free flue gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectWater-repellent effect: Hydrophobe

Implementation Method 2

CO2 in the flue gas is absorbed to the CO2 absorbent by a chemical reaction (exothermic reaction)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectChemical reaction (exothermic): Exothermic Reaction

Data Source

PatentEP2862620B1Discharge-gas treatment system
Publication Date: 2019.09.04 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND ENG LTD
  • EP2862620B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2862620B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2862620B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An air pollution control system includes CO2 absorber 32 that removes CO2 by bringing an introduced flue gas 11 and an amine absorbent serving as a CO2 absorbent into countercurrent contact with each other, and an absorbent regenerator 33 that releases CO2 from the amine absorbent that has absorbed CO2 to regenerate the amine absorbent. A lean solution 31b obtained by removal of CO2 in the absorbent regenerator 33 is supplied to the CO2 absorber 32 side and used again as the amine absorbent (lean solution 31b). The CO2 absorber 32 is equipped with a CO2 absorption unit 34 that absorbs CO2 in the flue gas 11 by the amine absorbent (lean solution 31b), and a water-repellent filter unit 36 that is provided on an upper part (gas flow downstream) side of the CO2 absorption unit 34 and collects the mist amine absorbent accompanied by the CO2-free flue gas 12A. The mist amine accompanied by the CO2-free flue gas 12A is collected.