IP Library Granted Patent US 7,938,889
Granted Patent B2
US 7,938,889 · App. 12/200,277 · Granted May 10, 2011

CO

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,938,889
App. No.
12/200,277
Granted
May 10, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A CO 2 recovery system includes an absorption tower that removes CO 2 from exhaust gas, a regeneration tower that regenerates a rich solution, and a separation drum that condensates steam in CO 2 gas released from the regeneration tower and separates water. The CO 2 recovery system further includes a filtration membrane apparatus that filters solid content remaining in the lean solution using a filter, and cleans the filter using condensed water as cleaning water and again return the condensed water into the system. The CO 2 -absorbing solution attached to the filter is collected and the filter is cleaned without diluting the CO 2 -absorbing solution upon replacement of the filter.

Claims (23)

1. A CO 2 recovery system comprising:

an absorption tower that causes CO 2 -containing exhaust gas to come in contact with a CO 2 -absorbing solution and removes CO 2 ;

a regeneration tower that regenerates a rich solution that has absorbed CO 2 by heat exchange; and

a separation drum that condensates steam in CO 2 gas with the steam released from the regeneration tower and separates water, wherein a lean solution produced by removing CO 2 from the rich solution is reused in the absorption tower, wherein

the absorption tower includes

a CO 2 -recovery unit that causes the CO 2 -containing exhaust gas to come in contact with the CO 2 -absorbing solution and absorbs CO 2 contained in the exhaust gas;

a washing unit that is arranged in an upper side of the CO 2 -recovery unit, cools CO 2 -removed exhaust gas after CO 2 is removed, and recovers the CO 2 -absorbing solution accompanying the CO 2 -removed exhaust gas; and

a condensed-water receiver that is arranged in a lower side of the washing unit and collects condensed water containing a low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution in the washing unit, wherein

a filtration membrane apparatus is provided on a lean-solution branch line branched from a lean solution supply line that supplies the lean solution from the regeneration tower to the absorption tower,

a cleaning-water supply line that supplies the condensed water containing the low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution as cleaning water is provided on the lean-solution branch line,

solid content remaining in the lean solution is filtered by the filtration membrane apparatus using a filter, and

the filter is cleaned using the cleaning water and the low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution used for the cleaning is returned into the absorption tower.

2. The CO 2 recovery system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning-water return line that supplies the low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution used to clean the filter to the condensed-water receiver.

3. The CO 2 recovery system according to claim 1 , wherein the low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution in which a filtering material is dissolved is used to form a coating layer on the filter.

4. The CO 2 recovery system according to claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 -absorbing solution is an amine-based absorbing solution.

5. A method of cleaning a filtration membrane apparatus using the CO 2 recovery system according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

causing CO 2 -containing exhaust gas to come in contact with a CO 2 -absorbing solution and removing CO 2 in a CO 2 -recovery unit of an absorption tower,

regenerating a rich solution that has absorbed CO 2 in a regeneration tower,

filtering solid content remaining in a lean solution produced by removing regenerated CO 2 from the rich solution by a filter provided in the filtration membrane apparatus, wherein the filtration membrane apparatus is provided on a lean-solution branch line branched from a lean solution supply line that supplies the lean solution from the regeneration tower to the absorption tower,

supplying condensed water containing a low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution recovered at the absorption tower to the filtration membrane apparatus, and

cleaning the filter using the condensed water containing the low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution, and

returning the low-concentration CO 2 -absorbing solution used for the cleaning into the absorption tower.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the CO 2 -absorbing solution is an amine-based absorbing solution.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 14, 2023
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
To: MHI ENGINEERING, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066014/0774 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Dec 14, 2023
From: MHI ENGINEERING, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066014/0870 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2018
From: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINEERING, LTD.
Reel/Frame 047054/0898 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2008
From: IIJIMA, MASAKI
To: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 021461/0445 →