Method and apparatus for drying and compressing CO2-rich flow
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsAlain Briglia, Arthur Darde
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Abstract
In a method for compressing a water-containing CO2-rich fluid wherein the CO2-rich fluid is compressed in a compressor located upstream from the compression step, an antifreeze agent is injected into the water-containing CO2-rich fluid in order to lower the water solidification temperature. The antifreeze agent-containing CO2-rich fluid is frozen, water is extracted from the frozen fluid, and the frozen fluid is compressed in the compressor.
Claims18
A process for compressing a CO2-rich fluid comprising CO2 and water, the method comprising the steps of:
- dividing the CO2-rich fluid into a first portion and a second portion upstream of a compressor;
- injecting an antifreeze into the first portion to create an antifreeze-containing CO2-rich fluid;
- sending the second portion of the CO2-rich fluid to a bottom of a degassing column;
- mixing an overhead gas from the degassing column with the antifreeze-containing CO2-rich fluid to create a mixture,
- cooling the mixture and then sending the mixture into a phase separator;
- extracting water containing antifreeze from the phase separator leaving a cooled CO2-rich fluid within the phase separator, wherein the cooled CO2-rich fluid contains a substantial amount less water as compared to the CO2-rich fluid;
- sending the water containing antifreeze to a top of the degassing column;
- and
- withdrawing the cooled CO2-rich fluid from the phase separator and comprising the cooled CO2-rich fluid in the compressor to produce a compressed fluid.
A unit for compressing a CO2-rich fluid comprising CO2 and water, the unit comprising:
- a compressor;
- a degassing column having a top and a bottom, the bottom configured to receive a second portion of the CO2-rich fluid, the degassing column configured to separate the second portion of the CO2-rich fluid into a liquid phase and an overhead gas;
- an antifreeze inlet line configured to inject antifreeze into a first portion of the CO2-rich fluid to create an antifreeze-containing CO2-rich fluid;
- a cooling device in fluid communication with the degassing column and the antifreeze inlet line, the cooling device configured to receive a mixture comprising the overhead gas and the antifreeze-containing CO2-rich fluid and cool said mixture to form a cooled mixture, the cooling device being located downstream the antifreeze inlet line;
- a phase separator in fluid communication with the cooling device, the phase separator configured to receive the cooled mixture and to extract water from the cooled mixture thereby leaving a cooled CO2-rich fluid, the phase separator having a liquid outlet in fluid communication with the top of the degassing column such that the extracted water is introduced from the liquid outlet of the phase separator to the top of the degassing column, the phase separator having a gaseous outlet in fluid communication with the compressor such that the cooled CO2-rich fluid is introduced from the gaseous outlet of the phase separator to the compressor;
- wherein the compressor is disposed downstream the antifreeze inlet line, the degassing column, the cooling device, and the phase separator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.