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.

Disclosed is a flue gas purification tower, comprising a tower body, at least one gas inlet (1) disposed at the bottom of the tower body, at least one gas outlet (2) disposed at the top of the tower body, at least one active coke layer (3) located inside the tower body, and a baffle plate (4) arranged in a place where the flow direction of the flue gas from the gas inlet changes. The baffle plate (4) is a straight plate, an arc plate, a straight-and-arc plate or a straight-arc-straight plate, wherein the straight-and-arc plate comprises a straight segment and an arc segment connected with each other; and the straight-arc-straight plate comprises a straight segment in the vertical direction, a straight segment in the horizontal direction, and an arc segment connected between the two straight segments.

A carbon dioxide scrubber includes an adsorption chamber through which an adsorption airflow is directed, a regeneration chamber through which a regeneration airflow is directed, and a divider wall separating the adsorption chamber from the regeneration chamber. A carbon dioxide sorbent bed extends across the adsorption chamber and the regeneration chamber. The carbon dioxide sorbent bed is configured to adsorb carbon dioxide from the adsorption airflow into the sorbent bed and exhaust carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide sorbent bed into the regeneration airflow. The carbon dioxide sorbent bed is continuously movable through the adsorption chamber and the regeneration chamber.

A carbon dioxide scrubber includes an adsorption chamber through which an adsorption airflow is directed, a regeneration chamber through which a regeneration airflow is directed, and a divider wall separating the adsorption chamber from the regeneration chamber. A carbon dioxide sorbent bed extends across the adsorption chamber and the regeneration chamber. The carbon dioxide sorbent bed is configured to adsorb carbon dioxide from the adsorption airflow into the sorbent bed and exhaust carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide sorbent bed into the regeneration airflow. The carbon dioxide sorbent bed is continuously movable through the adsorption chamber and the regeneration chamber.

A carbon dioxide separation recovery method includes: bringing a particulate carbon dioxide adsorbent and a treatment target gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with each other to make the carbon dioxide adsorbent adsorb the carbon dioxide contained in the treatment target gas; and bringing the carbon dioxide adsorbent which has adsorbed the carbon dioxide and superheated steam into contact with each other to desorb the carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent and thereby regenerate the carbon dioxide adsorbent, and recovering the desorbed carbon dioxide. A saturation temperature of the superheated steam which is brought into contact with the carbon dioxide adsorbent is not more than a temperature of the carbon dioxide adsorbent which contacts the superheated steam. The regenerated carbon dioxide adsorbent is utilized for adsorption of the carbon dioxide again without being subjected to a drying step.

Provided is a gas adsorption and separation apparatus, comprising an adsorption functional module (01) and a further functional module (02), wherein a main functional portion of the adsorption functional module (01) is an adsorption series (011) composed of two or more adsorption units (09) arranged in sequence; the adsorption series (011) comprises a head end (0111) and a tail end (0112); a gas to be separated passes through the adsorption series (011) in a direction from the head end (0111) to the tail end (0112); when reaching a preset degree of saturation adsorption of the adsorbate gas, the adsorption unit (09) located at the head end (0111) is detached from the adsorption series (011) and enter the further functional module (02) comprising a desorption apparatus (021), and sequentially re-enters the adsorption series (011) from the tail end (0112) after a further process treatment including a desorption treatment is completed; and each adsorption unit (09) is an adsorptive fixed bed which is composed of an adsorbent and a mechanical support structure and has a proper mechanical strength and a good permeability, the adsorption unit (09) which has completed saturated adsorption is referred to as a saturated adsorption unit (091), and the adsorption unit (09) which has completed desorption and regeneration is referred to as a regenerated adsorption unit (092).

In a method for separating argon by cryogenic distillation, in which a flow containing argon, oxygen and nitrogen and being more rich in argon than the air is sent to a distillation column, and an argon-rich gas flow is withdrawn at the top of the column, a portion of the argon-rich gas flow is mixed with beads to form a gas mixture containing beads, the beads being capable of adsorbing oxygen in the presence of argon at the column operating temperatures; the portion of the argon-rich gas flow mixed with the beads is condensed and then sent to the top of the column; and a bottom liquid containing beads is withdrawn from the column and treated to remove the beads, the beads removed being regenerated to remove the adsorbed oxygen and being again mixed with the argon-rich gas flow.

In a method for separating argon by cryogenic distillation, in which a flow containing argon, oxygen and nitrogen and being more rich in argon than the air is sent to a distillation column, and an argon-rich gas flow is withdrawn at the top of the column, a portion of the argon-rich gas flow is mixed with beads to form a gas mixture containing beads, the beads being capable of adsorbing oxygen in the presence of argon at the column operating temperatures; the portion of the argon-rich gas flow mixed with the beads is condensed and then sent to the top of the column; and a bottom liquid containing beads is withdrawn from the column and treated to remove the beads, the beads removed being regenerated to remove the adsorbed oxygen and being again mixed with the argon-rich gas flow.

A carbon dioxide separation recovery method includes: bringing a particulate carbon dioxide adsorbent and a treatment target gas containing carbon dioxide into contact with each other to make the carbon dioxide adsorbent adsorb the carbon dioxide contained in the treatment target gas; and bringing the carbon dioxide adsorbent which has adsorbed the carbon dioxide and desorption steam into contact with each other to desorb the carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent, and thereby, regenerate the carbon dioxide adsorbent and recover the desorbed carbon dioxide. The step of recovering the carbon dioxide includes utilizing a recovery gas as a heat source of a heat exchanger, the recovery gas containing the desorption steam which has contacted the carbon dioxide adsorbent and the carbon dioxide which has been desorbed from the carbon dioxide adsorbent.

A method of encapsulating an engineered pellet in a porous membrane is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: (i) dissolving a membrane solute in a membrane solvent to produce a membrane solution; (ii) applying the membrane solution to a pellet to form a pellet encapsulated with the membrane solution; (iii) subjecting the membrane solution that encapsulates the pellet to a phase inversion and; (iv) drying the pellet to form a porous membrane encapsulated pellet. A porous membrane encapsulated pellet is also described.