Capture and removal of gases from other gases in a gas stream

Abstract

A method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using a thermo-acoustic device includes the steps of first cooling the gas stream using at least one heat exchanger and then passing the stream to a thermo-acoustic refrigeration process and removing gases in a cascade process. The gases that are captured and removed, such as CO 2 , can be deposited, for example, in a marine environment.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . A method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means, comprising the steps of:
 cooling a gas stream using at least one heat exchanger;   passing the gas stream to a thermo-acoustic refrigeration process; and,   removing a gas in a cascade process.   
   
   
       25 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 24 , further comprising the step of:
 capturing the gas removed in said removing step.   
   
   
       26 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 25 , wherein the gas captured in said capturing step is carbon dioxide, and further comprising the step of:
 cooling the carbon dioxide to either a liquid state under pressure or to a solid state.   
   
   
       27 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 24 , wherein the gas stream contains methane. 
   
   
       28 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 24 , wherein oxygen and nitrogen act as a heat exchange medium for said at least one heat exchanger for the gas stream that is an incoming gas stream. 
   
   
       29 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 28 , wherein the incoming gas stream contains carbon dioxide and further comprising the step of:
 cooling the incoming gas stream by passing the incoming gas stream through said at least one heat exchanger.   
   
   
       30 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 29 , further comprising the step of:
 further cooling the incoming gas stream by passing the incoming gas stream through an additional heat exchanger, or second heat exchanger, via a coolant, said at least one heat exchanger being a first heat exchanger.   
   
   
       31 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 30 , wherein said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger have pulsating flow for reducing size of said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger are able to be decreased and thermal efficiency is increased. 
   
   
       32 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 30 , further comprising the step of:
 further cooling the incoming gas stream by passing the incoming gas stream through at least one thermo-acoustic refrigerator.   
   
   
       33 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 32 , further comprising the step of:
 further cooling the incoming gas stream via a third heat exchanger using a cold stream of nitrogen and remnant oxygen from the at least one thermo-acoustic refrigerator.   
   
   
       34 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 32 , wherein said at least one thermo-acoustic refrigerator is a plurality of thermo-acoustic refrigerators linked to one another. 
   
   
       35 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 34 , wherein said plurality of thermo-acoustic refrigerators are linked via bending a plurality of TASHERs into a “U” shape, so that a plurality of TASHERs are combined in the “U” shape. 
   
   
       36 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 32 , wherein said at least one thermo-acoustic refrigerator removes gases from the incoming gas stream in a cascade process, except for nitrogen and remnant oxygen. 
   
   
       37 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 26 , further comprising the steps of:
 piping carbon dioxide captured in said capturing step as liquid carbon dioxide at pressure to a point in an ocean where ocean depth is sufficient for keeping the CO 2  in its liquid phase and density differences between the CO 2  and ocean water causes the CO 2  to sink to a floor of the ocean.   
   
   
       38 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 37 , further comprising the step of:
 maintaining the carbon dioxide in a pipe until the carbon dioxide reaches a maximum depth.   
   
   
       39 . The method for the selective capture and removal of gases and vapors from a gas stream using thermo-acoustic means according to  claim 26 , further comprising the step of:
 pumping carbon dioxide captured in said capturing step as liquid carbon dioxide to, or near, a floor of an ocean.