Abstract: Described herein are methods of recovering lithium from dilute lithium sources. The methods include extracting lithium from an extraction feed using direct lithium extraction in an extraction stage to yield a lithium intermediate, performing one or more concentration operations, each concentration operation concentrating an input stream to yield an output feed, wherein the input stream is obtained from the lithium intermediate and/or the extraction feed is obtained from the output feed. At least one of the concentration operations includes a membrane separation operation having a plurality of reactors in series each having a semi-permeable membrane, such as a counter-flow reverse osmosis operation. Methods may also include generating a low TDS stream as a permeate from any of the one or more concentration operations, wherein the low TDS stream is recycled or used as fresh water.

Abstract: An energy efficient and environmentally benign lithium recovery process is described. The process comprises extracting lithium from the brine source using a ion withdrawal process to form a lithium extract; providing electricity for the extracting using an energy source; and recovering thermal energy from the energy source for use in the extracting.

Abstract: Electrical separators employing detection of conductive fluid excursions are described herein. A separator of this type has a separator, comprising a separation vessel; an electric field assembly extending a first distance within the separation vessel in a first direction of a density-based separation force; a plurality of detector electrodes extending a second distance within the separation vessel in the first direction; one or more power units; and one or more circuits electrically coupling the electric field electrodes and the detector electrodes with the one or more power units.

Abstract: Lithium recovery processes are described using concentration and conversion techniques. A vaporizer or membrane can be used to concentrate lithium and precipitate impurities. A conversion process can be used to replace anions in lithium bearing streams by adding a second anion and precipitating lithium in a salt with the second anion. Rotary separation can be used to separate the precipitated lithium salt.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for integrated alkali metal extraction are disclosed. Various exchange media are used to separate a chosen alkali metal, usually lithium, from a source stream and render the alkali metal into a product. In some cases, absorption/desorption processes, using solid and/or liquid absorption media, are used to purify a brine stream into a concentrate stream having elevated concentration of the desired alkali metal. Various processes, which may include use of liquid absorbents, electrochemical processing, centrifugation, evaporation, electrical mixing and separation, or combinations thereof, are used to separate the chosen metal from the source, and aqueous streams are recycled among the processes to facilitate the various separations.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method, comprising routing a bio-oil to a mixing device; routing a wash material to the mixing device; using the mixing device to form a mixture from the bio-oil and the wash material; routing the mixture to an electrostatic separator; and applying an electric field to the mixture, in the electrostatic separator, to separate the wash material from the bio-oil.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, apparatuses, and methods for using a sensed combustion zone temperature to continuously control combustion of a first (main) gas within an enclosed combustor. The combustor is in fluid communication with a first gas line carrying the first gas, a second gas line independent of the first gas line carrying a second (assist) gas having a higher heating value than the first gas, and air dampers providing draft or assist air. The first gas may be vapors from a production source or tank. A computer control system monitors the combustion zone temperature of the enclosed combustor as sensed by a sensor in electronic communication with the computer control system and controls the combustion zone temperature by changing a condition of a first gas line valve of the first gas line, a second gas line valve of the second gas line, and the air dampers.

Abstract: Electrical separators employing detection of conductive fluid excursions are described herein. A separator of this type has a separator, comprising a separation vessel; an electric field assembly extending a first distance within the separation vessel in a first direction of a density-based separation force; a plurality of detector electrodes extending a second distance within the separation vessel in the first direction; one or more power units; and one or more circuits electrically coupling the electric field electrodes and the detector electrodes with the one or more power units.

Abstract: An energy efficient and environmentally benign lithium recovery process is described. The process comprises extracting lithium from the brine source using a ion withdrawal process to form a lithium extract; providing electricity for the extracting using an energy source; and recovering thermal energy from the energy source for use in the extracting.

Abstract: Systems and methods for carbon capture using produced water are provided. One such system includes a direct air capture (DAC) subsystem. The DAC subsystem includes an air inlet configured to receive a flow of air comprising carbon dioxide, a water inlet configured to receive a flow of produced water from a production system. The DAC subsystem also includes one or more air-water contactors configured to contact the flow of air with the flow of produced water to dissolve carbon dioxide from the air into the produced water to produce a treated air and a water output, where the water output includes a carbon rich aqueous solution including dissolved carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, carbonate anions, bicarbonate anions, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: Lithium recovery processes are described using concentration and conversion techniques. A vaporizer or membrane can be used to concentrate lithium and precipitate impurities. A conversion process can be used to replace anions in lithium bearing streams by adding a second anion and precipitating lithium in a salt with the second anion. Rotary separation can be used to separate the precipitated lithium salt.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a power system that includes a first compressor with an air inlet and a compressed air outlet; a nitrogen separator coupled to the compressed air outlet, the nitrogen separator comprising a nitrogen concentrate outlet and a byproduct outlet; a second compressor coupled to the nitrogen concentrate outlet, the second compressor having a high pressure outlet for supplying high pressure concentrated nitrogen to an underground storage; and a turbine generator with an inlet for high pressure concentrated nitrogen for coupling to an underground storage.

Abstract: Methods of treating an aqueous source are described herein that include reducing a concentration of sulfide species in a stream obtained from the aqueous source to form an extraction feed and extracting ions from the extraction feed, or a stream obtained from the extraction feed, using direct aqueous extraction. Other methods describe treating an aqueous source by reducing a concentration of organic species in a stream derived from the aqueous source to form an extraction feed and extracting ions from the extraction feed, or a stream derived from the extraction feed, using direct aqueous extraction. The aqueous source can be an aqueous lithium source.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of recovering lithium from dilute lithium sources. The methods include extracting lithium from an extraction feed using direct lithium extraction in an extraction stage to yield a lithium intermediate, performing one or more concentration operations, each concentration operation concentrating an input stream to yield an output feed, wherein the input stream is obtained from the lithium intermediate and/or the extraction feed is obtained from the output feed. At least one of the concentration operations includes a membrane separation operation having a plurality of reactors in series each having a semi-permeable membrane, such as a counter-flow reverse osmosis operation. Methods may also include generating a low TDS stream as a permeate from any of the one or more concentration operations, wherein the low TDS stream is recycled or used as fresh water.

Abstract: A method can include generating equipment specifications for a facility project at a field site by simulating physical phenomena using one or more computational simulators; using the equipment specifications and a computational facility planner system, generating a work breakdown structure for the facility project, where the work breakdown structure represents activities to be performed to deliver a defined scope of the facility project within a defined time; rendering a graphical user interface to a display that includes graphical controls for dependencies of the activities and equipment characterized by the equipment specifications; responsive to input received via one or more of the graphical controls, automatically updating at least durations of the activities; and, based at least in part on the updating, generating an optimal scenario for the facility project.

Abstract: Methods of treating an aqueous source are described herein that include reducing a concentration of sulfide species in a stream obtained from the aqueous source to form an extraction feed and extracting ions from the extraction feed, or a stream obtained from the extraction feed, using direct aqueous extraction. Other methods describe treating an aqueous source by reducing a concentration of organic species in a stream derived from the aqueous source to form an extraction feed and extracting ions from the extraction feed, or a stream derived from the extraction feed, using direct aqueous extraction. The aqueous source can be an aqueous lithium source.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein provide a method of separating a liquid mixture, comprising providing a liquid mixture to a separator, electrically coupling a power circuit to the liquid mixture inside the separator, applying a time-varying voltage to the power circuit, detecting a phase angle in the power circuit; and controlling the phase angle by adjusting a characteristic of the time-varying voltage.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a power system that includes a first compressor with an air inlet and a compressed air outlet; a nitrogen separator coupled to the compressed air outlet, the nitrogen separator comprising a nitrogen concentrate outlet and a byproduct outlet; a second compressor coupled to the nitrogen concentrate outlet, the second compressor having a high pressure outlet for supplying high pressure concentrated nitrogen to an underground storage; and a turbine generator with an inlet for high pressure concentrated nitrogen for coupling to an underground storage.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of recovering lithium from dilute lithium sources. The methods include concentrating a dilute aqueous lithium source to yield an extraction feed having an extraction lithium concentration; extracting lithium from the extraction feed using direct lithium extraction in an extraction stage to yield a lithium intermediate; concentrating a stream obtained from the lithium intermediate in a concentration stage to yield a lithium concentrate; and converting lithium in the lithium concentrate to lithium hydroxide.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of recovering lithium from dilute lithium sources. The methods include concentrating a dilute aqueous lithium source to yield an extraction feed having an extraction lithium concentration; extracting lithium from the extraction feed using direct lithium extraction in an extraction stage to yield a lithium intermediate; concentrating a stream obtained from the lithium intermediate in a concentration stage to yield a lithium concentrate; and converting lithium in the lithium concentrate to lithium hydroxide.