High efficiency refrigerant recovery system
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsDonald E. McConnell, William E. Holland, Mark A. Casey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is directed to a process and apparatus for recovering refrigerant from a refrigeration purge stream wherein a gaseous purge stream containing a refrigerant and non-condensible gasses is countercurrently contacted with a high boiling point liquid which absorbs the refrigerant from the purge stream. Preferably a scrubbing column is used to effect countercurrent contact between the purge stream and the liquid stream.
Claims44
An apparatus for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant purge stream comprising:
- a scrubbing column;
- means for introducing a refrigerant-containing purge stream from a refrigeration system into a lower section of said scrubbing column;
- means for introducing a high boiling point liquid capable of absorbing said refrigerant into an upper section of said scrubbing column;
- means for recovering a mixture of said refrigerant and said high boiling point liquid from a lower section of said scrubbing column;
- and
- means for venting non-condensible gasses received in an upper section of said scrubbing column to the atmosphere.
An apparatus for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant purge stream comprising:
- a vertically disposed scrubbing column;
- means for introducing a high boiling point liquid into an upper section of said scrubbing column;
- means for introducing a refrigerant-containing gaseous purge stream from a refrigeration system into a lower section of said scrubbing column;
- contacting means for countercurrently contacting the high boiling liquid and refrigerant-containing purge stream in the scrubbing column so that the refrigerant is absorbed by the high boiling point liquid, said contacting means comprising a woven packing material having a plurality of surfaces;
- detecting means for detecting the level of the high boiling point liquid/refrigerant mixture in the lower section of said column;
- valve means responsive to said detecting means for releasing said liquid from the column at a rate sufficient to maintain a substantially constant height of said liquid in the lower section of the column;
- and
- means for releasing non-condensible gas from the top of said distillation column.
A purge system for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant in a refrigeration system comprising:
- a first purge means for removing refrigerant from a refrigerant-containing purge stream;
- and
- a second purge means for receiving the refrigerant-containing purge stream from said first purge means;
- wherein said second purge means comprises means for counter-currently contacting said purge stream with a high boiling point liquid capable of absorbing said refrigerant and means for venting non-condensible gasses to the atmosphere.
A purge system for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant in a refrigeration system comprising a receiving means for receiving a refrigerant-containing gaseous purge stream from said refrigeration system, means for countercurrently contacting said purge stream with a high boiling point liquid capable of absorbing said refrigerant, means for venting non-condensible gasses to the atomsphere, and separating means for separating refrigerant from a mixture of said refrigerant and said high boiling point liquid.
A process for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant in a refrigeration system, the process comprising:
- introducing a gaseous stream including refrigerant and non-condensible gases from a refrigeration system into a lower section of a scrubbing zone;
- introducing a high boiling point liquid capable of absorbing said refrigerant into an upper section of said scrubbing zone;
- flowing said high boiling point liquid downwardly through said scrubbing zone in countercurrent relationship to said gaseous stream so that at least a portion of the refrigerant is absorbed by said high boiling point liquid;
- recovering a mixture comprising refrigerant and high boiling point liquid from a lower section of said scrubbing zone;
- and
- removing a non-condensible gas stream from the top of said scrubbing zone.
A process for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant in a refrigeration system, the process comprising:
- introducing a gaseous stream including refrigerant and non-condensible gases from a refrigeration system into a lower section of a vertically disposed scrubbing column comprising a plurality of contacting surfaces;
- introducing a high boiling point liquid capable of dissolving said refrigerant into an upper section of said column;
- flowing said high boiling point liquid downwardly through said column in countercurrent relationship to said gaseous stream so that at least about 90 wt. % of the refrigerant is absorbed by said high boiling point liquid;
- recovering a mixture comprising refrigerant and high boiling point liquid from a lower section of said column;
- and
- removing a non-condensible gas stream from the top of said column.
A process for removing non-condensible gases from a refrigerant in a refrigeration system, the process comprising:
- introducing a gaseous stream including refrigerant and non-condensible gases from a refrigeration system into a lower section of a vertically disposed scrubbing column comprising a plurality of contacting surfaces;
- introducing a liquid comprising a high boiling alkyl ester into an upper section of said column;
- flowing said liquid downwardly through said column in countercurrent relationship to said gaseous stream under condition such that at least about 95 wt. % of the refrigerant is absorbed by said liquid;
- recovering a mixture of said liquid and refrigerant from a lower section of said column;
- directing said mixture from the lower section of the column to a gas/liquid separation zone maintained at a thermodynamic condition sufficient for separating said refrigerant from said mixture;
- separately recovering said refrigerant and said high boiling point liquid from said separation zone;
- recycling said high boiling point liquid from said separation zone to said upper section of said column;
- and
- removing a gaseous stream from an upper section of said column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.