Condensed Rotational Separation for CO2 capture in coal gasification processes

A new and patented method for sequestrating CO2 in coal gasification processes has been developed: condensed rotational separation (CRS). In this method the producer gas after the water shift reaction is lowered in temperature (-50C/-60C) by applying a condensing heat exchanger. A mixture forms which consist of predominantly gaseous hydrogen with in it a mist of small micron-sized droplets which consist of predominantly liquid CO2. The liquid droplets are separated by applying the patented apparatus of the rotational particle separator .With the new method 80 % of the CO2 can be removed in the form of liquid with a purity of 99.5 %. The size of the installation necessary to do the job is small, the energy required to run the process amounts to approximately 1 % of the burning value of the produced hydrogen. The basic idea behind the Rotational Phase Separator, is a rotating cylinder consisting of a multitude of axially orinted channels. The channels are only a couple of millimeters in height so that particles as small as one micrometer can be effectively centrifugated to the walls (Mondt 2005). At equal external dimensions and energy consumption (either electrical or due to pressure drop), the particles collected are typically ten times smaller than those separated in a corresponding cyclone (van Wissen 2007). The technology is essential for economic application of gas separation by condensation (Willems 2009).The process is demonstrated at laboratory scale for CH4 - CO2 and N2 - CO2 mixtures. Results of experiments confirm theoretical predictions. Using the experimental results, an industrial scale prototype separator is designed to operate at field scale throughput, pressure and temperature conditions. For fast preliminary separator testing purposes, a full size model separator (based on water/air) has been built to study liquid removal and separation efficiency.The outlook is demonstration of core elements of the process in the slip stream of a gasification plant.