Method of separating carbon dioxide from a gas mixture using a fluid dynamic instability

A method of separating a component from a gas mixture comprising the steps of:

• flowing a liquid solvent down a wire so that the solvent forms drops which flow down the wire, the flow of the drops down the wire creating fluid instability of the solvent, the solvent being reactive with the gas component;
• and
• flowing the gas mixture into contact with the solvent on the wire so that the solvent reacts with and absorbs the gas component, the fluid instability of the solvent increasing the rate of reaction of the solvent with the gas component by at least about 10% compared to the same reaction with the solvent in a fluid stable condition.

A method of separating carbon dioxide from a gas mixture comprising the steps of:

• flowing a liquid solvent down a wire so that the solvent forms drops which flow down the wire, the flow of the drops down the wire creating fluid instability of the solvent, the solvent being reactive with carbon dioxide;
• and
• flowing a gas mixture containing carbon dioxide into contact with the solvent on the wire so that the solvent reacts with and absorbs the carbon dioxide from the gas mixture, the fluid instability of the solvent increasing the mass transfer rate of the absorption process.

A method of separating a component from a gas mixture comprising the steps of:

• flowing a liquid containing a solvent down a wire so that the liquid forms drops which flow down the wire, the flow of the drops down the wire creating fluid instability of the liquid, the solvent being reactive with the gas component, and the liquid further containing an activator which promotes the reaction of the solvent with the gas component;
• and
• flowing the gas mixture into contact with the solvent on the wire so that the solvent reacts with and absorbs the component from the gas mixture, the fluid instability of the liquid increasing the mass transfer rate of the absorption process.

A method of separating carbon dioxide from a flue gas comprising the steps of:

• flowing a liquid solvent down a wire so that the solvent forms drops which flow down the wire, the flow of the drops down the wire creating fluid instability of the solvent, the solvent being reactive with carbon dioxide, and the solvent comprising a mixture of tertiary amine and water;
• and
• flowing a flue gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with the solvent on the wire so that the solvent reacts with and absorbs the carbon dioxide from the flue gas, the fluid instability of the solvent increasing the mass transfer rate of the absorption process.

A method of stripping a gaseous component from a liquid solvent containing the component, the method comprising the steps of:

• flowing a liquid solvent containing a gaseous component down a wire so that the solvent forms drops which flow down the wire, the flow of the drops down the wire creating fluid instability of the solvent;
• and
• heating the liquid solvent on the wire so that the gaseous component is released from the solvent, the fluid instability of the solvent increasing the mass transfer rate of the stripping process.