# US 10,865,780 B2 · Method and system for multi-stage compression of a gas using a liquid

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- Number: US 10,865,780 B2
- Document ID: US10865780B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/827,601
- Filed: 2017-11-30
- Published: 2018-03-22
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2013-11-20
- Assignees: Ohio State Innovation Foundation
- Applicants: Ohio State Innovation Foundation
- Inventors: Fabio Chiara; James Durand; Robert Underhill; Gerald Fly; Matteo Triberti
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865780B2

## CPC

- F04B 39/0011: {liquid pistons}
- C10L 3/10: Working-up natural gas or synthetic natural gas
- F04B 41/02: having reservoirs
- F04F 5/46: Arrangements of nozzles
- F15B 3/00: Intensifiers or fluid-pressure converters, e.g. pressure exchangers; Conveying pressure from one fluid system to another, without contact between the fluids {(fluid-driven pumps F04B9/08)}
- B01D 53/263: {by absorption}
- B01D 2252/2026: Polyethylene glycol, ethers or esters thereof, e.g. Selexol
- F15B 21/06: Use of special fluids, e.g. liquid metal; Special adaptations of fluid-pressure systems, or control of elements therefor, to the use of such fluids
- F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F)
- C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS
- F04F: PUMPING OF FLUID BY DIRECT CONTACT OF ANOTHER FLUID OR BY USING INERTIA OF FLUID TO BE PUMPED {(evacuating by sorption F04B)}; SIPHONS {(conveying materials in bulk by flows of gas, liquid of foam B65G53/00)}
- F15B: SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVOMOTORS; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)

## Abstract

A method of compressing a gas includes pumping, using a pump, at least a portion of a liquid contained in a first chamber to a second chamber containing a gas at a first pressure such that the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber compresses the gas in the second chamber to a second pressure greater than the first pressure, wherein the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber is admitted into the second chamber so that the admitted liquid flows along an internal surface of the second chamber.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of compressing a gas, comprising:
pumping, using a pump, at least a portion of a liquid contained in a first chamber to a second chamber initially containing only a gas at a first pressure such that the at least the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber compresses the gas in the second chamber to a second pressure greater than the first pressure and
admitting the at least the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber into the second chamber using a liquid admission mechanism configured to admit the at least the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber such that the admitted liquid flows along at least an internal wall surface of the second chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein said first chamber and said second chamber are fluidly connected through the pump.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first chamber comprises a first volume of the liquid and a first volume of the gas.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein admitting the at least the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber into the second chamber using the liquid admission mechanism configured to admit the at least the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber comprises admitting the at least the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber into the second chamber using a Coanda nozzle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving a pressurized gas into the first chamber having the liquid at the same time the at least the portion of the liquid in the first chamber is being pumped to the second chamber using the pump; and
compressing the gas in the second chamber to the second pressure greater than the first pressure by the portion of the liquid pumped into the second chamber.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the pressurized gas is received into the first chamber from a buffer chamber.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein any one or both of the first chamber and the second chamber have an internal geometry configured for admitting the liquid into the respective chamber so that the admitted liquid flows at least along a portion of the internal wall surface of the respective chamber for heat and mass transfer between the gas, the liquid and the portion of the internal surface of the respective chamber.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising circulating the gas and the liquid in a bottom and an upper part of any one or both of the first chamber or second chamber for heat and mass transfer between the liquid and the gas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid is admitted to any one or both of the first chamber and the second chamber via a nozzle that acts as the liquid admission mechanism.

### Claim 10

A method of compressing a gas, comprising:
providing a first chamber, said first chamber having a first volume of a liquid and a first volume of a gas;
providing a second chamber, said second chamber having a second volume of the liquid and a second volume of the gas, wherein the second volume of the gas in the second chamber is at a first pressure and said first chamber and said second chamber are fluidly connected through a pump; and
receiving a pressurized gas into the first chamber having the first volume of the liquid and the first volume of the gas and simultaneously pumping, using the pump, at least a portion of the first volume of the liquid in the first chamber to the second chamber such that the at least the portion of the first volume of the liquid pumped into the second chamber compresses the second volume of the gas in the second chamber to a second pressure greater than the first pressure,
wherein the at least the portion of the first volume of the liquid pumped into the second chamber is admitted into the second chamber using a liquid admission mechanism so that the admitted liquid flows along an internal wall surface of the second chamber.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the pressurized gas is received into the first chamber from a buffer chamber.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein any one or both of the first chamber and the second chamber have an internal geometry configured for admitting the liquid into the respective chamber so that the admitted liquid flows at least along a portion of the internal wall surface of the respective chamber for heat and mass transfer between the gas, the liquid and the portion of the internal wall surface of the respective chamber.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising circulating the gas and the liquid in a bottom and an upper part of any one or both of the first chamber or second chamber to for heat and mass transfer between the liquid and the gas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid is admitted to the first chamber or the second chamber via a nozzle that comprises the liquid admission mechanism.

### Claim 15

A system for compressing a gas, comprising:
a first chamber, said first chamber having a volume of liquid;
a second chamber, said second chamber initially having only at least a volume of a gas at a first pressure;
a pump, wherein the pump is in fluid communication with the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the pump pumps at least a portion of the volume of liquid contained in the first chamber to the second chamber containing the gas at the first pressure such that the portion of the volume of the liquid pumped into the second chamber compresses the volume of gas in the second chamber to a second pressure greater than the first pressure,
wherein the portion of the volume of the liquid pumped into the second chamber is admitted into the second chamber via a liquid admission mechanism so that the admitted liquid flows along an internal wall surface of the second chamber.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the first chamber having the liquid further comprises a gas inlet that introduces a pressurized gas into the first chamber at the same time the portion of the volume of the liquid in the first chamber being pumped to the second chamber using the pump.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16 further comprising a buffer chamber in fluid connection with the first chamber, wherein the pressurized gas is received into the first chamber from the buffer chamber.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein any one or both of the first chamber and the second chamber have an internal geometry configured for admitting the liquid into the respective chamber so that the admitted liquid flows at least along a portion of the internal wall surface of the respective chamber for heat and mass transfer between the gas, the liquid and the portion of the internal wall surface of the respective chamber.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, further comprising circulating the gas and the liquid in a bottom and an upper part of any one or both of the first chamber or second chamber for heat and mass transfer between the liquid and the gas.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein liquid admission mechanism comprises a Coanda nozzle.