IP Library Granted Patent US 12,569,801
Granted Patent B2
US 12,569,801 · App. 18/551,352 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Carbon dioxide capture apparatus and process combined with biogas upgrading

Inventors: Seong Yong Ha (Seoul, KR); Sun Keun Lee (Gyeonggi-do, KR); Kwang Joon Min (Seoul, KR); Chung Seop Lee (Daejeon, KR); Jin Hyuk Yim (Chungcheongbuk-do, KR); Dong Wook Kong (Chungcheongbuk-do, KR); Eunbyeol Baek (Chungcheongbuk-do, KR); Sang Hoon Han (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: AIRRANE CO., LTD.
B01D53/226B01D53/72B01D71/64B01D71/68B01D2053/221B01D2256/245B01D2257/504B01D2311/106B01D2311/2512B01D2311/2698B01D2313/221
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,569,801
App. No.
18/551,352
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a carbon dioxide capture apparatus and process combined with biogas upgrading, and there is provided the carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading for simultaneously obtaining high purity methane and carbon dioxide, and improving separation efficiency without an additional process by making use of gas streams after a liquefaction process, and recovering cold heat in the process.

Claims (45)

1 . A carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading, comprising:

a first compressor configured to compress a first compressor feed gas including biogas;

a first separation membrane configured to separate a first separation membrane feed gas including the gas compressed by the first compressor into a first separation membrane permeate gas and a first separation membrane residual gas;

a second separation membrane configured to receive the first separation membrane residual gas and separate into a second separation membrane permeate gas and a second separation membrane residual gas;

a third separation membrane configured to receive the first separation membrane permeate gas and separate into a third separation membrane permeate gas and a third separation membrane residual gas;

a second compressor configured to compress a second compressor feed gas including the third separation membrane permeate gas;

a liquefaction heat exchanger configured to cool down the gas compressed by the second compressor;

a carbon dioxide purification unit including a separation tower which is supplied with the gas cooled by the liquefaction heat exchanger, and an upper part in which a carbon dioxide containing gas is obtained and a lower part in which a high purity carbon dioxide liquid is obtained;

a first recovery separation membrane configured to receive the carbon dioxide containing gas and separate into a first recovery separation membrane permeate gas and a first recovery separation membrane residual gas; and

a first circulation unit configured to circulate the first recovery separation membrane permeate gas to the first separation membrane, the third separation membrane or the second compressor.

2 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a dry ice production unit including a chamber in which the high purity carbon dioxide liquid is received and converted to dry ice and an outlet through which a residual carbon dioxide gas not having been converted to the dry ice exits.

3 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a heat exchanger network configured to cool down the gas compressed by the first compressor before feeding into the first separation membrane, by heat exchange with at least one of the second separation membrane permeate gas, the second separation membrane residual gas, the third separation membrane permeate gas, the third separation membrane residual gas, the carbon dioxide containing gas, the first recovery separation membrane permeate gas, the first recovery separation membrane residual gas or the residual carbon dioxide gas.

4 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 3 , wherein the heat exchanger network includes:

a first heat exchanger to exchange heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and the third separation membrane permeate gas;

a second heat exchanger to exchange heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and cooled by the first heat exchanger and a methane dominated gas including at least one of the second separation membrane residual gas or the first recovery separation membrane residual gas;

a third heat exchanger to exchange heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and cooled by the second heat exchanger and a circulating gas including at least one of the second separation membrane permeate gas or the third separation membrane residual gas; and

a fourth heat exchanger to exchange heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and cooled by the third heat exchanger and the residual carbon dioxide gas.

5 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the gas fed into the first separation membrane is-40 to 10° C.

6 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the gas fed into the first recovery separation membrane is-40 to 0° C.

7 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 1 , wherein the first separation membrane, the second separation membrane, the third separation membrane and the first recovery separation membrane are identical or different from one another, and are made of at least one of polysulfone (PSF) or polyimide (PI).

8 . The carbon dioxide capture apparatus combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an additional heat exchanger configured to cool the gas compressed by the second compressor by additional heat exchange between the gas compressed by the second compressor and the residual carbon dioxide gas.

9 . A carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading, comprising:

a first compression step of compressing, by a first compressor, a first compressor feed gas including biogas;

a first separation step of feeding the gas compressed by the first compressor into a first separation membrane to separate into a first separation membrane permeate gas and a first separation membrane residual gas;

a second separation step of feeding the first separation membrane residual gas into a second separation membrane to separate into a second separation membrane permeate gas and a second separation membrane residual gas;

a third separation step of feeding the first separation membrane permeate gas into a third separation membrane to separate into a third separation membrane permeate gas and a third separation membrane residual gas;

a second compression step of compressing, by a second compressor, a second compressor feed gas including the third separation membrane permeate gas;

a liquefaction step of cooling down, by a liquefaction heat exchanger, the gas compressed by the second compressor;

a separation and purification step of feeding the gas cooled by the liquefaction heat exchanger into a separation tower to obtain a carbon dioxide containing gas in an upper part of the separation tower and recover a high purity carbon dioxide liquid in a lower part through a separation and purification process; and

a first recovery step of feeding the carbon dioxide containing gas into a first recovery separation membrane to separate into a first recovery separation membrane permeate gas and a first recovery separation membrane residual gas, and circulating the first recovery separation membrane permeate gas to the first separation membrane, the third separation membrane or the second compressor.

10 . The carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a dry ice production step of converting the high purity carbon dioxide liquid to dry ice, and obtaining a residual carbon dioxide gas not having been converted to the dry ice.

11 . The carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a heat exchange step of cooling down the gas compressed by the first compressor before feeding into the first separation membrane by heat exchange with at least one of the second separation membrane permeate gas, the second separation membrane residual gas, the third separation membrane permeate gas, the third separation membrane residual gas, the carbon dioxide containing gas, the first recovery separation membrane permeate gas, the first recovery separation membrane residual gas or the residual carbon dioxide gas.

12 . The carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 9 , wherein the heat exchange step comprises:

exchanging, by a first heat exchanger, heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and the third separation membrane permeate gas;

exchanging, by a second heat exchanger, heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and cooled by the first heat exchanger and a methane dominated gas including at least one of the second separation membrane residual gas or the first recovery separation membrane residual gas;

exchanging, by a third heat exchanger, heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and cooled by the second heat exchanger and a circulating gas including at least one of the second separation membrane permeate gas or the third separation membrane residual gas; and

exchanging, by a fourth heat exchanger, heat between the gas compressed by the first compressor and cooled by the third heat exchanger and the residual carbon dioxide gas.

13 . The carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 9 , wherein a temperature of the gas fed into the first separation membrane is-40 to 10° C.

14 . The carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 9 , wherein a temperature of the gas fed into the first recovery separation membrane is −40 to 0° C.

15 . The carbon dioxide capture process combined with biogas upgrading according to claim 9 , wherein the first separation membrane, the second separation membrane, the third separation membrane and the first recovery separation membrane are identical or different from one another, and are made of at least one of polysulfone (PSF) or polyimide (PI).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2023
From: HA, SEONG YONG; LEE, SUN KEUN; MIN, KWANG JOON; LEE, CHUNG SEOP; YIM, JIN HYUK; KONG, DONG WOOK; BAEK, EUNBYEOL; HAN, SANG HOON
To: AIRRANE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 065159/0393 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2023-0013725 · Feb 1, 2023 · national
KR 10-2023-0079682 · Jun 21, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250345742A1 · Nov 13, 2025
References Cited (14)
US 8025715B2 · Wijmans · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8585802B2 · Keller · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 10105638B2 · Yeo · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20020069838A1 · Rautenbach · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20170283292A1 · Kim · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20190321780A1 · Bikson · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2014051427 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020160055653 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020170046828 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020170137302 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020190114492 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020200129647 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 102357385 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
KR 102409244 · 2022 [cited by applicant]