US 8,986,430 B2Granted

Low-energy waste gas cooling using direct contact condenser

AssigneeFluor Technologies Corporation

InventorsHenry Kister, Richard B. Nielsen

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Abstract

Heat is removed from a process liquid of a direct contact condenser in waste gas cooling using two separate and distinct cooling devices that provide cooled process liquid to at least two separate sections in the direct contact condenser. Most preferably, the sections are liquidly isolated and provide the heated process liquids to the respective cooling devices. However, in other embodiments, the sections are liquidly coupled to each other so to allow transfer of the process liquid from one section to another section. One of the two cooling devices uses a lower-cost or higher-availability coolant that the other. It is generally preferred that one of the cooling devices is an air cooler and that another one of the cooling devices employs a cooling medium other than air.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A direct contact condenser configured to allow cooling of a waste gas in counter-current contact with a process liquid, comprising:

a feed gas conduit coupled to the direct contact condenser and a waste gas source and configured to feed the waste gas to the direct contact condenser, wherein the waste gas source is a sulfur recovery unit, a carbon dioxide capture unit, a heater, or a turbine;
wherein the direct contact condenser further comprises a first section liquidly coupled to a second section, such that the waste gas moves from the first section to the second section;
a first cooling device liquidly coupled to the first section, and configured to provide at least a portion of a first cooled process liquid to the first section at a first rate via a first pump;
a second cooling device liquidly coupled to the second section, and configured to provide at least a portion of a second cooled process liquid to the second section at a second rate via a second pump;
wherein first and second pumps are configured to allow pumping of the first and second cooled process liquids at different pump rates, respectively;
wherein first and second cooling devices are distinct, wherein the first cooling device is an air cooler, and wherein the waste gas is a gas from a process unit, a heater, or a turbine that is vented to the atmosphere;
and
first and second conduits liquidly coupled to the direct contact condenser and configured to provide first and second heated process liquids to the first and second cooling devices, respectively.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.