Solar thermal units and methods of operating solar thermal units for the conversion of solar insolation to thermal energy are provided. In some examples, solar thermal units have an inlet, and a split flow of heat absorbing fluid to either side of the solar thermal unit, along a first fluid flow path and a second fluid flow path. Optionally, one or more photovoltaic panels can be provided as part of the solar thermal unit, which may convert solar insolation to electric power that may be used by a system connected to the solar thermal unit.

A system for integrated removal of multiple pollutants includes an economizer, an air preheater, an electrostatic precipitator, a flue gas cooler and a low-temperature adsorber; the economizer has a shell side inlet for feeding boiler flue gas, a tube side inlet for feeding boiler feedwater, and a shell side outlet connected to a tube side inlet of the air preheater; the air preheater has a shell side inlet for introducing boiler intake air, and a tube side outlet connected to the electrostatic precipitator; the electrostatic precipitator has a dust discharge port at a bottom thereof and a flue gas outlet connected to the flue gas cooler; the flue gas cooler has a condensate outlet at a bottom thereof and a cold flue gas outlet at a top thereof and connected to the low-temperature adsorber; and the low-temperature adsorber has a purified flue gas outlet at a tail thereof.

A system for integrated removal of multiple pollutants includes an economizer, an air preheater, an electrostatic precipitator, a flue gas cooler and a low-temperature adsorber; the economizer has a shell side inlet for feeding boiler flue gas, a tube side inlet for feeding boiler feedwater, and a shell side outlet connected to a tube side inlet of the air preheater; the air preheater has a shell side inlet for introducing boiler intake air, and a tube side outlet connected to the electrostatic precipitator; the electrostatic precipitator has a dust discharge port at a bottom thereof and a flue gas outlet connected to the flue gas cooler; the flue gas cooler has a condensate outlet at a bottom thereof and a cold flue gas outlet at a top thereof and connected to the low-temperature adsorber; and the low-temperature adsorber has a purified flue gas outlet at a tail thereof.

A reactor system for conducting an adsorption/desorption swing process comprising of at least o adsorption reactor; at least one desorption reactor and means for transporting a particulate adsorbent material between the at least one adsorption reactor and the at least one desorption reactor.

The present invention relates to a method of separating and recovering NGLs from a natural gas feedstream. Specifically, the present method allows for the separation of ethane and heavier hydrocarbons and/or propane and heavier hydrocarbons from a raw natural gas feedstream to provide pipeline quality natural gas. One embodiment of this method provides for the use of a regenerable adsorbent media which is regenerated by a microwave heating system. Said regeneration step may be operated as a batch process, a semi-continuous process, or a continuous process.

The present invention relates to a method of separating and recovering NGLs from a natural gas feedstream. Specifically, the present method allows for the separation of ethane and heavier hydrocarbons and/or propane and heavier hydrocarbons from a raw natural gas feedstream to provide pipeline quality natural gas. One embodiment of this method provides for the use of a regenerable adsorbent media which is regenerated by a microwave heating system. Said regeneration step may be operated as a batch process, a semi-continuous process, or a continuous process.

A carbon capture system includes a Carbonator for adsorbing carbon dioxide with a carbon dioxide lean sorbent generating a carbon dioxide rich sorbent, a first Calciner for thermally decomposing a carbon dioxide rich sorbent into a carbon dioxide lean sorbent and carbon dioxide, a supply of raw material to be calcined into the first Calciner containing a carbon dioxide rich sorbent, a connection between the first Calciner and the Carbonator, a second Calciner for thermally decomposing a carbon dioxide rich sorbent into a carbon dioxide lean sorbent and carbon dioxide, a connection between the Carbonator and the second Calciner, and a connection between the second Calciner and the Carbonator.

A carbon dioxide adsorbent including silica gel and an amine compound carried by the silica gel. The silica gel has a spherical shape, a particle size ranging from 1 mm to 5 mm inclusive, an average pore diameter ranging from 10 nm to 100 nm inclusive, a pore volume ranging from 0.1 cm.sup.3/g to 1.3 cm.sup.3/g inclusive, and a waterproof property N that is defined by an expression (1) and that is not lower than 45%,

N=(W/W.sub.0)×100  (1) where N is the waterproof property in percentage (%) of the silica gel, W.sub.0 is a total number of particles of the silica gel immersed in water, W is a number of particles of the silica gel not subjected to breakage out of W.sub.0.

Methods for desorbing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from beaded activated carbon (BAC) that is loaded with VOCs, during the VOC abatement process using the fluidized carbon bead system include transferring the loaded BAC in an adsorber to a desorber, where a stream of organic solvent passes over the BAC to dissolve at least a portion of the adsorbed VOCs into the organic solvent to regenerate BAC. The regenerated BAC is returned to the adsorber. The organic solvent containing dissolved VOCs may be transferred to a distiller to separate the organic solvents from the dissolved VOCs and may be reused as the organic solvent in the desorber.

Methods for desorbing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from beaded activated carbon (BAC) that is loaded with VOCs, during the VOC abatement process using the fluidized carbon bead system include transferring the loaded BAC in an adsorber to a desorber, where a stream of organic solvent passes over the BAC to dissolve at least a portion of the adsorbed VOCs into the organic solvent to regenerate BAC. The regenerated BAC is returned to the adsorber. The organic solvent containing dissolved VOCs may be transferred to a distiller to separate the organic solvents from the dissolved VOCs and may be reused as the organic solvent in the desorber.