GAS/LIQUID CONTACTING VESSEL AND THE USE THEREOF IN A FLUE GAS TREATMENT SYSTEM

1 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel for treatment of a gas stream at varying mass flow rates, said vessel comprising

at least two distinct gas/liquid contacting compartments separated from each other by a substantially vertical partition, each compartment having a gas inlet and a liquid outlet near a bottom end thereof and a gas outlet and a liquid inlet near a top end thereof, and a mass transfer device arranged between said bottom end and top end,

wherein one of said compartments is operable for gas/liquid contacting independently of another of said compartments.

2 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according to claim 1 , wherein all of said gas inlets are fluidly connectable to a common gas source.

3 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according claim 1 , wherein all of said liquid inlets are fluidly connectable to a common liquid source.

4 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprises shut-off means, whereby gas and/or liquid flow to a gas/liquid contacting compartment can be blocked independently of another of said compartments.

5 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the mass transfer devices comprised packed beds.

6 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel defines an inner volume having a circular horizontal cross-section, and wherein the at least two distinct gas/liquid contacting compartments are defined by an inside wall of the vessel and one or more substantially vertical walls extending throughout a substantially vertical cross-section of the inner volume of the vessel.

7 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according claim 1 , wherein the vessel defines an inner volume having a circular horizontal cross-section, and wherein at least one of the distinct gas/liquid contacting compartments is defined by a tubular wall extending substantially vertically throughout the inner volume of the vessel.

8 . A gas/liquid contacting vessel according to claim 1 , wherein the vessel comprising only two gas/liquid contacting compartments.

9 . A flue gas treatment system for removal of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from a flue gas using a liquid absorbent, the system comprising:

a CO 2 absorber vessel including:

at least two distinct gas/liquid contacting compartments separated from each other b a substantially vertical partition, each compartment having a gas inlet and a liquid outlet near a bottom end thereof and a gas outlet and a liquid inlet near a top end thereof, and a mass transfer device arranged between said bottom end and top end,

wherein one of said compartments is operable for gas/liquid contacting independently of another of said compartments; and

an absorbent regenerator vessel having at least one liquid inlet and at least one liquid outlet, each of which are in fluid communication with the CO 2 absorber vessel.

10 . A flue gas treatment system according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid sorbent is provided to the liquid inlets of the absorber vessel and a gas stream having CO 2 provided to the gas inlets of the absorber vessel to the gas stream and the liquid stream flow in a counter-current direction through the mass transfer device within the absorber vessel whereby a CO 2 -lean gas stream exits through the gas outlets and the CO 2 -rich liquid absorbent exits through the liquid outlets of the absorber vessel.

11 . A flue gas treatment system according to claim 18 , wherein said CO 2 absorber vessel and said absorbent regenerator vessel each comprises only two gas/liquid contacting compartments.

12 . A flue gas treatment system according to claim 9 , which is selected from the group consisting of an amine based gas treatment system and an ammonia based gas treatment system.

13 . (canceled)

14 . (canceled)

15 . A method of operating a gas/liquid contacting vessel according to claim 1 , the method comprising:

a) determining the mass flow rate of a flue gas stream to be treated,

b) opening or blocking one or more gas/liquid contacting compartment(s) CO 2 of a gas/liquid contacting vessel to adjust the capacity of the gas/liquid contacting vessel to the mass flow rate of the flue gas stream determined in a), and

c) treating the flue gas stream by contacting it with a liquid absorbent in the open gas/liquid contacting compartment(s) CO 2 of the gas/liquid contacting vessel.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the gas/liquid contacting vessel is a CO 2 absorber vessel of a flue gas treatment system comprising:

at least two distinct gas/liquid contacting compartments separated from each other by a substantially vertical partition, each compartment having a gas inlet and a liquid outlet near a bottom end thereof and a gas outlet and a liquid inlet near a top end thereof, and a mass transfer device arranged between said bottom end and top end,

wherein one of said compartments is operable for gas/liquid contacting independently of another of said compartments.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the flue gas stream to be treated is produced in a combustion plant utilizing, or prepared for, flue gas recirculation.

18 . A flue gas treatment system according to claim 10 , wherein said absorbent regenerator vessel comprises:

at least two distinct gas/liquid contacting compartments separated from each other by a substantially vertical partition, each compartment having a gas inlet and one of the liquid outlets near a bottom end thereof and a gas outlet and one of the liquid inlets near a top end thereof, and a mass transfer device arranged between said bottom end and top end,

wherein one of said compartments is operable for gas/liquid contacting independently of another of said compartments of the absorbent regenerator vessel.

19 . A flue gas treatment system according to claim 18 , wherein the CO 2 -rich liquid absorbent is provided to the liquid inlets of the regenerator vessel and a heated gas stream provided to the gas inlets of the regenerator vessel to the heated gas stream and the liquid stream flow in a counter-current direction through the mass transfer device within the regenerator vessel whereby a CO 2 gas stream exits through the gas outlets and the CO 2 -lean absorbent liquid exits through the liquid outlets of the regenerator vessel; and

wherein the CO 2 -lean absorbent liquid exiting the regenerator vessel is provided to the liquid inlets of the absorber vessel.