System and method for removing acid gas from a sour gas stream

A method of removing acid gas from a sour gas stream, the method comprising:

• providing a lean amine based sorbent liquid, wherein the lean amine based sorbent liquid is an amine based sorbent liquid configured to absorb the acid gas from the sour gas stream;
• providing an encapsulated phase change material, wherein the encapsulated phase change material is a phase change material which changes phase from solid to liquid upon heating encapsulated in a polymeric or inorganic shell with a melting point in excess of the melting point of the phase change material;
• (1) passing the sour gas stream in a counter-flow arrangement with the lean amine based sorbent liquid and the encapsulated phase change material in an absorber, wherein the lean amine based sorbent liquid absorbs the acid gas from the sour gas stream to form a rich amine based sorbent liquid and the encapsulated phase change material absorbs at least a portion of the energy freed by the heat of reaction from the conversion from the lean amine based sorbent liquid to the rich amine based sorbent liquid;
• (2) separating the rich amine based sorbent liquid and the encapsulated phase change material to generate a rich amine based sorbent liquid stream and an encapsulated phase change material slurry;
• (3) passing the rich amine based sorbent liquid stream to an amine regenerator wherein the rich amine based sorbent liquid is heated to release the acid gas absorbed from the sour gas stream and regenerate the lean amine based sorbent liquid;
• (4) passing the encapsulated phase change material slurry separated from the rich amine based sorbent liquid and the lean amine based sorbent liquid from the amine regenerator through a cooler to reduce the temperature of the encapsulated phase change material and the lean amine based sorbent liquid such that the phase change material in the encapsulated phase change material solidifies;
• and
• (5) repeating steps 1 through 4 with the cooled encapsulated phase change material and the lean amine based sorbent liquid from step (4).