Alkali enrichment mediated CO2 sequestration methods, and systems for practicing the same
Methods of sequestering CO 2 from a gaseous source of CO 2 are provided. Aspects of the methods include employing an alkali enrichment protocol, such as a membrane mediated alkali enrichment protocol, in a CO 2 sequestration protocol. Also provided are systems for practicing the methods.
1. A system for sequestering CO 2 from a gaseous source of CO 2 , the system comprising:
a CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module;
a membrane mediated alkali enrichment module comprising:
a membrane;
a first liquid in contact with the membrane, with increasing alkalinity, operatively coupled to the CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module, and comprising dissolved CO 2 , bicarbonate ions, or a combination thereof; and
a second liquid with decreasing alkalinity in contact with the membrane; and
a carbonate production module,
wherein the membrane mediated alkali enrichment module is configured to balance charges in the first liquid and the second liquid by flow of H + ions or OH − ions through the membrane.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module comprises a hollow fiber membrane.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the carbonate production module is configured to produce a carbonate slurry.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the carbonate production module is configured to produce a non-slurry carbonate solid.
5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is operatively coupled to sources of first and second distinct liquids.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the gaseous source of CO 2 is a multi-component gaseous stream.
7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the gaseous source of CO 2 is a flue gas.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein at least two of the:
membrane mediated alkali enrichment module;
CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module; and
carbonate production module
are configured to operate at the same operating pressure.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein all of the:
membrane mediated alkali enrichment module;
CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module; and
carbonate production module
are configured to operate at the same operating pressure.
10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the operating pressure ranges from 1 to 10 ATM.
11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to recycle a gas or liquid among at least two of the:
membrane mediated alkali enrichment module;
CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module; and
carbonate production module.
12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to process industrial scale volumes of input gases and liquids.
13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a cationic membrane and the membrane mediated alkali enrichment module is configured to balance charges in the first liquid and second liquid by flow of H + ions through the cationic membrane.
14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the cationic membrane is a tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octenesulfonic acid copolymer membrane.
15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane is an anionic membrane and the membrane mediated alkali enrichment module is configured to balance charges in the first liquid and second liquid by flow of OH − ions through the anionic membrane.
16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first liquid and second liquid are at different mechanical pressures.
17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first liquid and the second liquid are at different osmotic pressures.
18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the CO 2 gas/liquid contactor module further comprises a catalyst.
19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein the catalyst mediates the conversion of CO 2 to bicarbonate.
20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the catalyst comprises an enzyme.