Method for regenerating a solid reactant

1. A method for regenerating a solid reactant, the method comprising steps of:

(a) streaming the solid reactant into an inlet port of a contactor vessel and heating the solid reactant inside the contactor vessel;

(b) streaming a purge oxidant into an oxidant port of the contactor vessel to reduce a partial pressure of a gas released from the solid reactant;

(c) venting the gas from a gas port of the contactor vessel; and

(d) removing the solid reactant from a discharge port of the contactor vessel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein heating the solid reactant comprises introducing a fuel into a fuel port of the contactor vessel.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the fuel is hydrogen gas.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the solid reactant is calcium carbonate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the gas is carbon dioxide.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the purge oxidant is steam.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of maintaining a selected total pressure inside the contactor vessel in a range from about 25 atmospheres to about 40 atmospheres.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises reducing the partial pressure of the gas to a range from about 5 psia to about 6 psia.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of heating the solid reactant to a temperature of about 950 degrees Centigrade inside the contactor vessel prior to step (b).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises venting the gas from the contactor vessel so that the gas flows in a direction opposite to that of the solid reactant.