The present invention relates to an improved method for removing contaminants from a gaseous stream substantially comprising carbon dioxide. More specifically, the method comprises the step of subjecting the gaseous stream to an absorption step in which the absorbent is liquid carbon dioxide wherein the waste of carbon dioxide is minimized by utilizing a compressing means for generating a pressure difference between two streams in a reboiler.

Improvements in biological conversion processes and associated apparatuses are disclosed for the generation of useful end products such as ethanol, through metabolic pathways of C1-fixing bacteria that utilize, as a nutrient, a C1-carbon source from a C1-containing substrate such as an industrial waste gas. Particular aspects of the disclosure relate to the downstream recovery of ethanol and/or isopropanol from bleed and permeate streams and more particularly to performing such recovery with improved efficiency that can advantageously reduce capital (e.g., equipment) and/or operating (e.g., utility) costs.

A process for the separation of a natural gas stream is provided. The process includes receiving an effluent gas flow from a first fractionator operating at a first pressure, splitting the effluent gas flow into a first stream and a second stream, and passing the first stream through a heat exchanger thereby causing a phase change of at least a portion of the first stream from a gaseous state to a liquid state. The process includes inserting the first stream into an upper portion of a second fractionator operating at a second pressure. The second pressure is lower than the first pressure. The process includes inserting the second stream into a lower portion of the second fractionator, and diverting liquids from a lower portion of the second fractionator to the first fractionator.

The present disclosure relates to a method and device for obtaining distillate from non-potable water. The method comprises the steps of utilizing solar power from a solar power system to produce electricity and steam, utilizing the electricity and the steam in a water treatment device to convert the non-potable water into distillate and concentrate, transporting at least a part of the distillate to consumers for use. The method and device provide multiple effect distillation (MED) combined with vapour compression (VC) being able to work 24 hours a day only on solar energy.

Processes and systems are provided to compress vapors produced in distillation and recover the heat of condensation through mechanical vapor compression and to derive mechanical and electrical energy from a combined heat and power system, while maintaining the plant's original ability to operate. The plant's existing distillation system, steam generation, and electrical demand determine the design basis for the retrofit system that is targeted at an optimized combination of energy usage, energy cost, and environmental impact. Mechanical vapor compression minimizes the total energy usage. Combined heat and power provides a means of converting energy between fuel, electricity, and thermal energy in a manner that best complements plant requirements and energy economics and minimizes inefficiencies and energy losses.

A thermal distillation apparatus including evaporation surfaces that are wetted with a solution, and from which at least some of the volatile solvent contained in the solution evaporates, condensers having an external surface in close proximity to, but not touching, a corresponding one of the one or more evaporation surfaces, and on which vapors of the solvent condense, releasing thermal energy that heats a flow of the solution moving upward within the condensers, spacers that prevent contact between the evaporating surfaces and the condensers, wherein spaces between the evaporating surfaces and the condensers are filled with a gaseous mixture composed of solvent vapor and one or more non-condensable gases, and except for diffusion of the solvent vapor relative to the non-condensable gases, the gaseous mixture is stationary.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for recycling plastics, electronics, munitions or propellants. In particular, the method comprises reacting a feed stock with a molten aluminum or aluminum alloy bath. The apparatus includes a reaction vessel for carrying out the reaction, as well as other equipment necessary for capturing and removing the reaction products. Further, the process can be used to cogenerate electricity using the excess heat generated by the process.

Provided are a purification device and method. The purification device and method make most use of an internal heat source in the distillation column in the process of distilling the raw material, and reduce use of an external heat source. Thereby, the purification device and method can improve energy efficiency of all the processes.

The present application relates to a distillation device. The distillation device of the present application can minimize energy loss occurring in a purification process of the olefin monomer, the solvent, and the raw material including, for example, 1-octene, iso-octene, and n-hexane, used in a polymerization process of the polyolefin elastomer, and can increase economic efficiency by isolating a high-purity product.

A distillation system and method. The system includes a recirculation pump and a separation system for receiving a multi-media fluidic solution and operating at a temperature different than ambient temperature and at a pressure different than ambient pressure. The system further includes a separator for separating heavier particles from the multi-media fluidic solution. The separator separates heavier particles from the multi-media fluidic solution at the temperature and pressure of the separation system.