Gas and liquid contact apparatus – Contact devices – Injector type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-28
2002-05-28
Bushey, C. Scott (Department: 1724)
Gas and liquid contact apparatus
Contact devices
Injector type
C261S120000, C261S126000, C261SDIG007
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394428
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
In general, this invention relates to technology for dissolving gas in a liquid. More specifically, it relates to a method and an apparats for dissolving carbon dioxide in waste gas which contains carbon dioxide gas and which is discharged in large quantities from stationary gas generating facilities such as thermal power plants in sea water and isolating it deep in the sea, and to a method of installing the apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
From in the past, carbon dioxide has been representative of water-soluble gases which have been studied for isolation in the sea in order to prevent atmospheric pollution and global warming. Techniques for isolation in the sea of carbon dioxide gas have included (a) a method in which carbon dioxide gas is liquified and then discharged directly deep into the sea, (b) a method in which carbon dioxide gas is formed into dry ice and then dropped directly into the sea, and (c) a method in which carbon dioxide gas is blown directly into shallow seas (having a depth on the order of 200-400 meters) and dissolved.
However, in method (a), large amounts of energy and costs are necessary in order to separate and recover carbon dioxide gas from waste gas and to liquify carbon dioxide gas, and there is much acidification of sea water in the vicinity of where the liquified carbon dioxide is released, so it has the problem of large effects on the environment. In method (b), large amounts of energy and costs are necessary in order to separate and recover carbon dioxide gas from waste gas and to process it into dry ice, and after dropping dry ice directly into the sea, the state of dissolving and dispersion of carbon dioxide is unclear, so it has the problem of poor reliability of isolation in the sea. In method (c), the depth of water where carbon dioxide gas is dissolved and dispersed in the sea is shallow, so there is the problem that the period of time (the period of isolation in the sea) until the carbon dioxide which is dissolved in sea water is again released into the atmosphere is short.
A method and apparatus in which carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in sea water and is isolated by sinking sea water, which has increased in specific gravity due to dissolving carbon dioxide gas, deep into the sea is disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 2655818.
In such technology, carbon dioxide gas is blown from a pipe forming a short leg of a conduit in the shape of an inverted J having the pipe forming a short leg and a pipe forming a long leg connected at their upper portions to form an inverted J shape, sea water is made to flow in from the lower end of the pipe forming a short leg by the gas lift effect, and carbon dioxide gas is completely dissolved in the sea water by the time the sea water reaches the upper end of the pipe forming a short leg. The pipe forming a long leg of the inverted J-shaped conduit functions as a sinking pipe having its lower end opening onto deep in the sea, and sea water which has increased in density due to the dissolving of carbon dioxide sinks deep into the sea due to gravity.
If a gas is blown into water, the gas becomes bubbles and rises towards the surface of the water. At this time, the surrounding water is pulled by viscosity, The phenomena in which an upwards flow is generated is called the gas lift effect. The above-described method uses the gas lift effect to dissolve water-soluble gas in sea water and isolate it deep in the sea.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
However, not all of the water-soluble gas which is supplied into sea water from the lower end portion of the dissolving pipe in the form of the pipe forming a short leg is dissolved in sea water, and a portion thereof remains in the pipe as undissolved gas. Furthermore, there are also cases in which insoluble gas is contained in the gas which is being blown.
In such cases, accumulation of undissolved gas takes place in the inverted J-shaped conduit, and the flow of sea water within the conduit ends up being impeded, so separation and discharge thereof must be carried out, but the separation and discharge are difficult.
If supply is carried out to the sinking pipe in a state in which undissolved gas is contained, the specific gravity of liquid in the sinking pipe decreases, and there is the problem that sinking is not carried out smoothly.
In order to supply only carbon dioxide gas, it is necessary to previously devise a separating means, so cost increases are unavoidable.
In addition, in the conventional technology disclosed in the above-described patent, the apparatus is installed in a region of the sea with a depth from the surface of at least 100 meters, and in sea water with such a depth, maintenance inspection of the apparatus is not easy, and operation must be interrupted if it is raised to above the water surface each time, so it cannot be said to be efficient.
Accordingly, a first object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus which can easily treat undissolved gas remaining within a pipe and which can dissolve water-soluble gas in sea water and isolate it deep in the sea.
A second object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus which can dissolve water-soluble gas in sea water and isolate it deep in the sea and which can easily carry out processing of undissolved gas remaining in a pipe even if gas such as ordinary waste gas containing a portion which is not soluble in sea water is injected without modification and which can easily undergo maintenance inspection.
A third object of this invention is to provide an installation method which can easily install such an apparatus in the sea.
The present inventors performed various investigations of means for realizing these objects and obtained the following knowledge.
(1) By placing a vessel having an appropriate space between and connecting a dissolving pipe and a sinking pipe, it is possible to separate within the vessel undissolved gas contained in the gas which is blown, and separation and discharge thereof are easy.
(2) If the above-described vessel is installed on the surface of the sea or in the vicinity thereof, not only installation but also maintenance inspection are easy.
(3) By forming the dissolving pipe, the sinking pipe, and the vessel which connects them as an integrated body, the manufacture and the installation thereof are made still easier.
Here, the present invention is a method of dissolving a water-soluble gas in sea water and isolating it deep in the sea, characterized by connecting a pipe forming a short leg and a pipe forming a long leg to a vessel which is installed in the sea or on the surface of the sea or in the vicinity thereof, with the pipe forming a short leg serving as a dissolving pipe and being maintained in shallow water in the sea, for example, blowing gas containing a water-soluble gas into its open lower end portion, introducing and raising sea water from the lower end of the pipe forming a short leg by the gas lift effect of gas in the pipe forming a short leg and dissolving water-soluble gas contained in the gas in the sea water as the sea water rises within the pipe forming a short leg, diffusing undissolved gas into the atmosphere from the liquid surface within the vessel, using the pipe forming a long leg as a sinking pipe opening onto deep in the sea, and making the sea water within the vessel sink deep into the sea due to the increase in density caused by dissolving of the water-soluble gas and due to the difference in pressure head corresponding to an increase in the liquid surface within the vessel caused by the gas lift effect.
From another standpoint, the present invention is an apparatus for dissolving water-soluble gas in sea water and isolating it deep in the sea, characterized by comprising a vessel installed in the sea or at the surface of the sea or in the vicinity thereof, a pipe forming a short leg which is connected to the vessel and which is open at its lower end portion and which is equipped with, blowing means for gas containing a water-soluble gas and which functions as a dissolving pipe, and a pipe f
Hinada Yasutoshi
Kosugi Sanai
Niwa Kentaro
Saito Takayuki
Watanabe Ken
Burns Doane Swecker & Mathis L.L.P.
Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.
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