A cryogenic technology for the cost-efficient capture of each known component of emissions, such as carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, any other acid vapor, mercury, steam, in a liquefied or frozen/solidified form, and unreacted nitrogen (gas) from industrial plants, such that each of the components is captured separately with minimum use of energy and is industrially useful.

A conduit seal assembly includes an outer conduit having a first end with a first opening and a second end, opposite the first end, with a second opening. A first seal is positioned in the first opening for resisting a first temperature, and a second seal is positioned in the second opening for resisting a second temperature less than the first temperature. The first and second seals define a cavity and provide an air-tight seal of the cavity, and the assembly includes a monitoring assembly configured to sense a characteristic in the cavity.

A method for cryogenic cooling without fouling is disclosed. The method comprises providing a first cryogenic liquid saturated with a dissolved gas; expanding the first cryogenic liquid into a separation vessel, separating into a vapor, a second cryogenic liquid, and a first solid; drawing the vapor into a heat exchanger and the second cryogenic liquid and the first solid out of the separation vessel; cooling the vapor against a coolant through the heat exchanger, causing the vapor to form a third cryogenic liquid and a second solid, the second solid dissolving in the third cryogenic liquid; and combining the second cryogenic liquid and the first solid with the third cryogenic liquid, producing a final cooled slurry. In this manner, the cryogenic cooling is accomplished without fouling.

A conduit seal assembly includes an outer conduit having a first end with a first opening and a second end, opposite the first end, with a second opening. A first seal is positioned in the first opening for resisting a first temperature, and a second seal is positioned in the second opening for resisting a second temperature less than the first temperature. The first and second seals define a cavity and provide an air-tight seal of the cavity, and the assembly includes a monitoring assembly configured to sense a characteristic in the cavity.

An air-sparged hydrocyclone for separating a vapor from a carrier gas is disclosed. The cyclone comprises a porous sparger covered by an outer gas plenum. A cryogenic liquid is injected to a tangential feed inlet at a velocity that induces a tangential flow and a cyclone vortex in the air-sparged hydrocyclone. The carrier gas is injected into the cyclone 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 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.

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.

In this patent we disclose, for the first time, detailed methods of our newly invented state-of-the-art cryogenic technology for the cost effective energy efficient capture of each known component of entire emissions (nearly 100%) such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), sulfur oxides (SO.sub.x), nitrogen oxides (NO.sub.x), carbon monoxide(CO), any other acid vapor, mercury, steam and unreacted nitrogen from industrial plants (coal and natural gas fired power plants, cement plants etc.), in a liquefied or frozen/solidified form, such that each of the components is captured separately and is industrially useful. This new technology includes a novel NH.sub.3 power plant to generate auxiliary electrical power from the heat energy of the flue gas to further improve the energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of the capture processes. It is the most cost effective of all existing emission capture technologies. It does not require use of any chemicals/reagents/external cryogens, unlike the current technologies. It uses only a fixed amount of water needed for the cooling process which can be used repeatedly. We present detailed methods of operations, together with scientific and economic analysis of the energy needed and cost involved for the said capture in two specific examples, and advantages of the new technology over the existing ones.

A device for distributing a fluid to a processing component includes a vessel having an inlet port for receiving a stream of fluid. A vapor outlet line is in fluid communication with the fluid processing component and has a vapor outlet line inlet in fluid communication with the headspace of the vessel. A liquid outlet line has a liquid outlet line inlet in fluid communication with a liquid side of the vessel and the fluid processing component. A bypass line has a bypass line inlet in fluid communication with the liquid side of the vessel and a bypass line outlet in fluid communication with the vapor outlet line and is configured so that liquid travels through the bypass line and into the vapor outlet line when a liquid level within the vessel reaches a predetermined level so that a headspace is maintained above the liquid level as liquid enters the vessel through the inlet port, and liquid does not travel from the bypass line into the vapor outlet line when a liquid level within the vessel is below the predetermined level.

A system and method for treating associated gas in which a stream of raw gas is passed through safety valving, an inlet pressure control mechanism, and an inlet scrubber. Pressure/temperature data is transmitted to a control system via pressure and temperature transducers. The raw gas is sent to a gas compressor to generate pressurized gas, which is sent to an aerial cooler and a chiller heat exchanger, in which a chilling media contacts the pressurized gas. The chilled pressurized gas is sent to a vapor liquid separator to generate processed gas, which is routed through either a system backpressure valve or a pressure reducing recycle valve that directs the processed gas to the inlet scrubber. The processed gas that has passed through the system backpressure valve is delivered as fuel or routed through a backpressure regulating recycle valve that directs the processed gas to a system inlet pressure reducing valve.

An adsorption process for xenon recovery from a cryogenic liquid or gas stream is described wherein a bed of adsorbent is contacted with the aforementioned xenon containing liquid or gas stream and adsorbs the xenon selectively from this fluid stream. The adsorption bed is operated to at least near full breakthrough with xenon to enable a deep rejection of other stream components, prior to regeneration using the temperature swing method. Operating the adsorption bed to near full breakthrough with xenon, prior to regeneration, enables production of a high purity product from the adsorption bed and further enables oxygen to be used safely as a purge gas, even in cases where hydrocarbons are co-present in the feed stream.