Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for separating solids from liquids are disclosed. A vessel includes an inlet, a carrier liquid outlet, a product outlet, a purifying section, and a heater. The inlet directs a slurry into the purifying section. The slurry comprises particles of a solid and a carrier liquid. The purifying section preferentially drives the particles of the solid towards a heating zone of the purifying section versus the carrier liquid. This displaces a first portion of the carrier liquid away from the heating zone of the purifying section. The heater heats the slurry. The carrier liquid outlet drives a majority of the carrier liquid out of the vessel. The product outlet is adjacent to the heating zone of the purifying section.

Abstract: A hydrocyclone for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. The hydrocyclone comprises one or more nozzles. A cryogenic liquid is injected to a tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the hydrocyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the cryogenic liquid, causing the vapor to dissolve, condense, desublimate, or a combination thereof, forming a vapor-depleted carrier gas and a vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid. The vapor-depleted carrier gas is drawn through a vortex finder and the vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid is drawn through an apex nozzle outlet. In this manner, the vapor is removed from the carrier gas.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for melting solids are disclosed. A vessel includes a solids inlet, a plunger, one or more fluid jets, and a fluid outlet. Solids are passed through the solids inlet into the vessel. The plunger is positioned adjacent to the solids inlet to provide a variable gap between the plunger and the solids inlet. The variable gap provides a restriction producing a back pressure at the solids inlet. Hot fluid is injected into the vessel by fluid jets. The one or more fluid jets enter the vessel and end adjacent to the variable gap. The hot fluid melts at least a portion of the solids.

Abstract: A method for removal of a foulant from a carrier gas is disclosed. A solids conveyance device that spans a vessel is provided, comprising an enclosed section and a filtering section. A cryogenic liquid and the carrier gas are provided to the enclosed section. The foulant condenses, dissolves, or desublimates into the cryogenic liquid, forming a cryogenic slurry and a foulant-depleted carrier gas entrained in the cryogenic slurry. The solids conveyance device advances the cryogenic slurry into the filtering section. The foulant-depleted carrier gas leaves the vessel through an upper portion of the permeable exterior wall and a warmed cryogenic liquid is removed from the cryogenic slurry through a lower portion of the permeable exterior wall, resulting in a solid foulant that is passed out of the solids outlet. In this manner, the foulant is removed from the carrier gas.

Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for removing a component from a fluid are disclosed. A feed fluid is heated by passing the feed fluid through a heating path of a first indirect-contact heat exchanger (ICHE). The feed fluid contains a first component. The fluid is heated from a first temperature to a second temperature, resulting in a heated feed fluid. The heated feed fluid is passed through a desiccator, containing a desiccant. The first component is bound up to the desiccant, resulting in a stripped-heated feed fluid. The stripped-heated feed fluid is cooled by passing the stripped-heated feed fluid through a cooling path of the first indirect-contact heat exchanger (ICHE). The stripped-heated feed fluid is cooled from a second temperature to a third temperature, the third temperature being greater than the first temperature, producing a product fluid.

Abstract: A method for separating components from a fluid is disclosed. A cooling element is provided and is disposed in contact with a distal side of one or more thermally-conductive surfaces. One or more resistive heating elements are provided and are disposed in contact with or embedded in a proximal side of the one or more thermally-conductive surfaces. A fluid comprising one or more secondary components is provided. The fluid is passed across the one or more thermally conductive surfaces, the one or more secondary components freezing, crystallizing, desublimating, depositing, condensing, or combinations thereof, out of the fluid. The one or more resistive heating elements engage such that the one or more solid secondary components detach and pass out the solids outlet. The one or more resistive heating elements disengage, restarting production of the one or more solid secondary components.

Abstract: A method for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. A hydrocyclone is provided with one or more nozzles on the wall of the hydrocyclone. A cryogenic liquid is provided to the tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the hydrocyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the hydrocyclone through the one or more nozzles. The vapor dissolves, condenses, desublimates, or a combination thereof, forming a vapor-depleted carrier gas and a vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid. The vapor-depleted gas is drawn through the vortex finder while the vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid is drawn through the apex nozzle outlet. In this manner, the vapor is removed from the carrier gas.

Abstract: A method for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. An air-sparged hydrocyclone is provided with a porous sparger covered by an outer gas plenum. A cryogenic liquid is provided to the tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the cyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the air-sparged hydrocyclone through the porous sparger. The vapor dissolves, condenses, desublimates, or a combination thereof, forming a vapor-depleted carrier gas and a vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid. The vapor-depleted gas is drawn through a vortex finder while the vapor-enriched cryogenic liquid is drawn through an apex nozzle outlet. In this manner, the vapor is removed from the carrier gas.

Abstract: A method and device are disclosed for a distillation column. The distillation column comprises a first liquid portion below a first gas portion. The first liquid portion comprises an opening through a side wall comprising a gas backflow preventer. A horizontal reboiler is attached to the opening, the reboiler comprising a second gas portion above a second liquid portion. The recycle gas outlet and the recycle gas inlet are connected by a recycle gas pipe. A descending process liquid stream passes through a recycle gas stream in the first gas portion, forming a bottoms liquid stream, which pools and passes through the opening into the reboiler, and is separated in the reboiler into a product liquid stream, which passes out a liquid outlet, and the recycle gas stream, which is prevented from passing back through the opening by the gas backflow preventer, passing instead through a recycle gas outlet.

Abstract: A device and process for removing vapors from a gas is disclosed. A tower is provided. Sub-cooled pellets are distributed by the solids distributor across a horizontal cross-section of the tower. A process gas, comprising a product vapor, passes through the gas inlet. The product vapor and the sub-cooled pellets comprise the same material. The product vapor and the sub-cooled pellets agglomerate as the product vapor desublimates onto the sub-cooled pellets, forming product pellets and a vapor-depleted gas. A crushing device, a screening device, and a solids heat exchanger are provided. A portion of the product pellets are recycled as sub-cooled pellets to the solids distributor by crushing and screening the portion of the product pellets to the size distribution of the sub-cooled pellets and cooling the portion of the product pellets to produce the sub-cooled pellets.

Abstract: A process and device for separating a vapor from a gas is disclosed. A direct-contact exchanger comprising a droplet-generating apparatus in a top portion of the exchanger and a bubbling apparatus in a bottom portion of the exchanger is provided. An inlet gas, comprising a vapor, is passed through the bubbling apparatus, forming bubbles in a bottoms liquid. The bottoms liquid strips a portion of the vapor and exchanges heat with the bubbles, producing a product liquid and a middle gas. A barren liquid is passed through the droplet-generating apparatus to form droplets of the barren liquid in the top portion. The droplets descend against the middle gas and strip a second portion of the vapor from and exchange heat with the middle gas, producing the bottoms liquid, which collects in the bottom portion, and a product gas.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recycling streams in a separations process comprising: determining a measured reading of a parameter of the separations processor is in a suboptimal range; separating, via a separation unit having a volume of contact fluid, the inert gas from the pollutant gas in the inlet flue gas stream to form a clean gas stream and a purified pollutant gas stream; removing at least 1% of the volume of contact fluid to form a removed volume of contact liquid; performing some unit operations on the removed volume of contact fluid; injecting the clean gas stream into the inlet flue gas stream to form a flue gas stream of lower pollutant concentration; and, repeating at progressively lower pollutant concentration, as the inlet stream until the processor determines that a measured reading of the parameter has been returned to a substantially optimal range.

Abstract: A method for removing a foulant from a heat exchanger is disclosed. A process fluid, comprising a process liquid and a fouling component, are provided to a process side of the heat exchanger. A flow of a coolant to the coolant side is provided by opening an inlet to the coolant side. The process fluid is cooled, a portion of the fouling component desublimating, crystallizing, freezing, condensing coupled with solidifying, or a combination thereof as a first portion of the foulant onto an outer surface of the coolant side. The inlet to the coolant side is periodically closed such that the flow of the coolant slows or stops, warming the process side, and causing the first portion of the foulant to sublimate, melt, absorb, or a combination thereof off the outer surface of the coolant side. The process then returns to the providing the flow of the coolant step.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a heat exchanger and one or more induction heating elements is disclosed. The heat exchanger comprises a coolant side conduit and a process side conduit, the process side conduit being susceptible to fouling by at least partial desublimation, condensation, crystallization, deposition, or combinations thereof of a fouling component of a circulating process fluid. An electrically conductive first metal is disposed adjacent to the process side conduit. The one or more induction heating elements are disposed proximate to the heat exchanger. The one or more induction heating elements are connected to a source of electrical current. When the electrical current flows through the induction heating elements, eddy currents are induced in the first metal, heating the first metal such that the fouling component sublimates, melts, absorbs, or a combination thereof into the circulating process fluid.

Abstract: A process for separating a vapor from a gas is disclosed. A cryogenic liquid is provided to an inlet of a froth flotation device. A carrier gas is provided to a gas distributor of the froth flotation device. The carrier gas comprises a product vapor. Bubbles of the carrier gas are produced and passed through the cryogenic liquid in the froth flotation device. A portion of the product vapor desublimates, condenses, crystallizes, or a combination thereof to produce a solid product and a product-depleted carrier gas. Bubbles of the product-depleted carrier gas collect the solid product as a froth concentrate. The froth concentrate is removed by overflowing out of the froth flotation device.

Abstract: A process for forming a solid product or products is disclosed. The process is provided with n desublimating exchangers. An exchanger E1 being associated with a first exchanger and an exchanger En being associated with an nth exchanger, n representing the number of exchangers. The n exchangers comprise at least one direct-contact exchanger comprising a contact fluid. A process fluid is passed through the n exchangers in order from E1 through En. The process fluid comprises a product component or components. The solid product or products form from the product component or components in the plurality of exchangers by desublimation. The solid product or products are separated from the process fluid. In this manner, a solid product or products is formed.

Abstract: A method for removing a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. A heat exchanger is provided. A coolant is provided to the coolant side. A slurry is provided to the process side. The slurry comprises a contact liquid and scouring solids. The carrier gas is provided to the heat exchanger, the carrier gas comprising a vapor. A portion of the vapor desublimates, condenses, absorbs, or reacts such that the portion of the vapor solidifies to form a product solid. At least a portion of the product solid deposits as a foulant on an outer surface of the coolant side and is scoured with the scouring solids to remove the foulant from the outer surface of the coolant side. A vapor-depleted carrier gas is removed from the heat exchanger. The slurry and product solid from the heat exchanger. In this manner, the vapor is removed from the carrier gas.

Abstract: A process for separating a mixture of components is disclosed. A liquid mixture is provided to a separation vessel substantially near a temperature at which a product component freezes. The liquid mixture comprises the product component and a carrier component. The product component and the carrier component are essentially immiscible substantially near the temperature. The liquid mixture is separated into two or more phases, the two or more phases comprising a product component-rich liquid phase and a product component-depleted liquid phase. In this manner, a mixture of components is separated.

Abstract: A device and a method for conducting a heat exchange process is disclosed. A direct-contact heat exchanger is provided comprising a process inlet, a coolant inlet, and an interior surface. A process stream is provided to the process inlet to be cooled in the heat exchange process by direct contact with a coolant stream that is provided to the coolant inlet. The coolant stream comprises a liquid or a gas. The heat exchange process comprises a phase change from liquid to gas, a sensible heat transfer, or a combination thereof. The cooling process leads to chemical reactions, solids formation in the bulk phase, or a combination thereof. The use of the direct-contact heat exchanger minimizes such reactions on the interior surface. In this manner, the heat exchange process is conducted.

Abstract: A method for removal of a foulant from a carrier gas is disclosed. A solids conveyance device that spans a vessel is provided, comprising an enclosed section and a filtering section. A cryogenic liquid and the carrier gas are provided to the enclosed section. The foulant condenses, dissolves, or desublimates into the cryogenic liquid, forming a cryogenic slurry and a foulant-depleted carrier gas entrained in the cryogenic slurry. The solids conveyance device advances the cryogenic slurry into the filtering section. The foulant-depleted carrier gas leaves the vessel through an upper portion of the permeable exterior wall and a warmed cryogenic liquid is removed from the cryogenic slurry through a lower portion of the permeable exterior wall, resulting in a solid foulant that is passed out of the solids outlet. In this manner, the foulant is removed from the carrier gas.