Method and apparatus for venting a gas
AssigneeL'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsJean-Baptiste Chaix, Samuel Amy, Marine Andrich, Mathieu Leclerc
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Abstract
An apparatus for separating CO2 and venting a gas comprises a contacting tower (T) comprising a lower section (I) and an upper section (C), mass transfer promoting means (P) in the lower section, a CO2 capture unit (PSA, CB), means for feeding a gas to the capture unit, means for feeding a nitrogen-enriched gas (N) from the capture unit to the bottom of the lower section of the cooling tower, means for feeding water (H) above the lower section and below the upper section of the tower, and means connected at a level above the lower section for feeding thereto a gas (G) that is to be vented and is a portion of the gas that is to be separated in the capture unit.
Claims15
A method for venting a gas, wherein:
- i. during a first mode of operation, a gas flow (N) containing at least 50 mol % nitrogen, preferably at least 70 mol % nitrogen, is fed to a contacting tower (T) comprising a lower section (I) and an upper section (C) and heat and mass transfer promoting packings (P) in the lower section at a first level at the bottom of the lower section, the tower being supplied by a water flow (H) arriving at a second level of the lower section above the first level, the gas flow being colder or at the same temperature as the water flow entering the tower, cooled water (HR) is withdrawn from the bottom of the tower and the water-enriched gas flow exits at the top of the tower to the atmosphere, no gas being fed to the tower at a level above the first level, and characterized in that
- ii. during a second mode of operation,
- a) a gas flow (N) containing at least 50 mol % nitrogen is fed to the contacting tower at the first level, the tower being supplied by a water flow (H) arriving at the second level above the first level, the gas flow being colder or at the same temperature as the water flow entering the tower, cooled water (HR) is withdrawn from the bottom of the tower, a gas (G, F, TG, CTG, IN) that is to be vented is fed into the tower at a third level above the second level, and the gas flow enriched with water mixed with the gas, which is to be vented up and out of the tower, exits at the top of the tower, and/or
- b) after step a) or instead of step a), no gas flow containing at least 50 mol % nitrogen is fed to the contacting tower, the contacting tower is not supplied by a water flow arriving at the second level above the first level and a gas (G, F, TG, CTG, IN) that is to be vented is fed into the tower at a third level above the second level, and the gas flow enriched with water mixed with the gas, which is to be vented up and out of the tower, exits at the top of the contacting tower.
An apparatus for separating CO2 and venting a gas, comprising a contacting tower (T) comprising a lower section (I) and an upper section (C), heat and mass transfer promoting packings (P) in the lower section, a CO2 capture unit (PSA, CB, CC), a device for feeding a gas, possibly containing at least 15% CO2, to the CO2 capture unit, a device for feeding a nitrogen-enriched gas (N) from the CO2 capture unit to the bottom of the lower section of the cooling tower, a device for feeding water (H) above the lower section and below the upper section of the tower at a temperature hotter than or equal to that of the nitrogen-enriched gas entering the tower, and a device connected at a level above the lower section for feeding thereto a gas (G, TG, CTG, IN) that is to be vented and is a portion of the gas that is to be separated in the CO2 capture unit (PSA, CB, CC) and/or a gas treated in the CO2 capture unit (PSA, CB, CC).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.