Co2 capture processes using rotary wheel configurations

A method for enhanced control, separation, and/or purification of CO2 gas from one or more sources having a mixture of gases, the method comprising:

• providing at least two solid monolithic sorbents having a selectivity for CO2 sorption in a continuous or semi-continuous, cyclic, countercurrent sorption-desorption process involving at least steps of first and second CO2 sorption, sorbent heating, first and second CO2 desorption, and sorbent cooling;
• in the first CO2 sorption step, exposing the mixed gas source(s), which contain(s) CO2 gas at a first temperature, to the solid monolithic sorbents, which are at a second temperature that is at least about 15° C. higher than the first temperature, as well as under further conditions sufficient for the solid monolithic sorbents to selectively sorb the desired CO2 gas, thus forming at least partially, selectively CO2-sorbed solid monolithic sorbents and an at least partially, selectively CO2-depleted product stream, and thus simultaneously heating the solid monolithic sorbents to a third temperature that is higher than the second temperature;
• optionally further heating the selectively-CO2-sorbed solid monolithic sorbent to a fourth temperature higher than the third temperature in the first CO2 sorption step, in order to facilitate more efficient desorption;
• in the first CO2 desorption step, exposing the CO2-sorbed and heated solid monolithic sorbents to an at least partially stripped product stream containing desorbed CO2 and moisture, thus forming at least partially CO2-desorbed and heated monolithic sorbents, which are further heated to a fifth temperature higher than the third or fourth temperature and which contain moisture, and a further stripped product stream containing additional desorbed CO2 and a lower moisture content than in the at least partially stripped product stream;
• in the second CO2 desorption step, exposing the at least partially CO2-desorbed and heated solid monolithic sorbents to a CO2 stripping stream containing moisture and not more than about 1 vol % CO2 to further desorb CO2, thus forming further CO2-desorbed and heated monolithic sorbents, which are further heated to a sixth temperature higher than the fifth temperature and which contains additional moisture, and the at least partially stripped product stream containing desorbed CO2 and moisture used in the first CO2 gas desorption step;
• in the sorbent cooling step, exposing the further CO2-desorbed and heated monolithic sorbents to a cooling stream at a seventh temperature lower than the second temperature, in order to cool the solid monolithic sorbents to an eighth temperature higher than the seventh temperature;
• optionally further exposing the monolithic sorbents to a further drying stream to thus form cooled and dried monolithic sorbents having sorbed moisture and a drying throughput stream, at least a portion of which drying throughput stream can optionally be recycled to the source(s) of mixed gas used in the first CO2 sorption step;
• in the second CO2 sorption step, exposing the at least partially, selectively CO2-depleted product stream from the first CO2 sorption step to the cooled and optionally dried solid monolithic sorbents under conditions sufficient for the cooled and optionally dried monolithic sorbents to selectively sorb additional CO2 gas from the at least partially CO2-depleted product stream, thus forming the at least partially CO2-sorbed solid monolithic sorbents and a further CO2-depleted product stream, and thus simultaneously heating the solid monolithic sorbents to the second temperature;
• and
• optionally condensing moisture as water from the at least partially stripped product stream and/or from the further stripped product stream, thus forming one or more condensed product streams and thereby decreasing CO2 concentration in the condensed product stream(s).