US 2011/0296870 A1 · Apparatus and process for separating CO2 from a flue gas

Abstract

An apparatus and a process for separating carbon dioxide from a flue gas of a coal burning power plant. The process includes compressing the flue gas to increase the pressure and temperature, and then passing the flue gas through a cryogenic heat exchanger that decreases the temperature even more prior to passing the cooled carbon dioxide through a turbine that decreases the temperature more and forms liquid and solid forms carbon dioxide. A carbon dioxide separator then separates the carbon dioxide from the flue gas, leaving both liquid and solids forms. A screw compressor compresses the solid carbon dioxide to produce only liquid carbon dioxide at a pressure suitable for sequestration. The liquid carbon dioxide is passed through the heat exchanger to cool the flue gas and to separate out any sulfur dioxide and water from the flue gas and to vaporize the liquid carbon dioxide prior to sequestration of the vapor carbon dioxide.

Claims16

Dependent claims

An apparatus to separate carbon dioxide from a flue gas of a power plant comprising:

a compressor to increase a pressure and a temperature of the flue gas;
an air cooler means located downstream from the compressor to cool the flue gas from the compressor;
a heat exchanger located downstream from the air cooler means to cool the flue gas exiting from the air cooler means and separate sulfur dioxide from the flue gas;
a turbine located downstream from the heat exchanger to form a liquid and a solid form of carbon dioxide from the flue gas;
a carbon dioxide separator means located downstream from the turbine to separate carbon dioxide from the flue gas from the turbine;
a screw compressor to liquefy the solid form of carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide separator means and pass the liquid carbon dioxide through the heat exchanger to covert the liquid carbon dioxide into a vapor and cool the flue gas passing through the heat exchanger;
and,
the flue gas from the carbon dioxide separator being passed through the heat exchanger to add heat to the liquid carbon dioxide from the screw compressor.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and process for separating CO2 from a flue gas

Life of this patent

Apparatus and process for separating CO2 from a flue gas

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16