Systems and methods for generating power and chilling using unutilized heat

Abstract

The present application provides a sorption system for generating power and chilling that includes at least one absorber to absorb a working fluid in a liquid sorbent, a pump in fluid communication with the absorber to yield a feed of pressurized liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid, a heat source to heat the feed of pressurized liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid to yield a feed of working fluid at a supercritical state, a generator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid at a supercritical state to yield power and a feed of working fluid in an at least partially condensed state, and an evaporator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid in the at least partially condensed state to yield chilling and uncondensed working fluid. Additional systems and method for the generating power and chilling are provided.

1 . A sorption system for generating power and chilling, comprising:
 (a) a first vessel containing a sorbent material in fluid communication with a working fluid and operatively connected to a heat source to yield a feed of working fluid at a supercritical state;   (b) a generator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid at supercritical state to yield power and a feed of working fluid in an at least partially condensed state; and   (c) an evaporator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid in the at least partially condensed state to yield chilling and a feed of uncondensed working fluid.   
     
     
         2 . The sorption system of  claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material is selected from zeolites, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), silicagel, adsorbing polymers, carbon, and activated carbon, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The sorption system of  claim 2 , wherein the sorbent material is a zeolite. 
     
     
         4 . The sorption system of  claim 1 , wherein the working fluid is selected from carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. 
     
     
         5 . The sorption system of  claim 4 , wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         6 . The sorption system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source is an unutilized heat source. 
     
     
         7 . The sorption system of  claim 1 , wherein the generator is a turboexpander. 
     
     
         8 . The sorption system of  claim 1 , further comprising: a second vessel containing sorbent material in fluid communication with the working fluid and operatively connected to a heat source to yield a second feed of working fluid at a supercritical state. 
     
     
         9 . The sorption system of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first vessel and the second vessel has a sorption mode and a desorption mode, wherein in the desorption mode the working fluid is released from the sorbent material in response to the heat source, and wherein in the sorption mode, the working fluid is sorbed by the sorbent material, wherein when the first vessel is operating in the adsorption mode, the second vessel is operating in the desorption mode and, wherein when the first vessel is operating in the desorption mode, the second vessel is operating in the sorption mode. 
     
     
         10 . A process for generating power and chilling comprising:
 adsorbing a working fluid onto a sorbent material;   heating the sorbent material to desorb the working fluid from the sorbent material at a supercritical state;   directing the desorbed fluid to drive a generator to generate power and to at least partially condense the desorbed working fluid; and   evaporating the at least partially condensed desorbed fluid to yield chilling and a feed of uncondensed working fluid.   
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the sorbent material is selected from zeolites, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), silicagel, adsorbing polymers, carbon, and activated carbon, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11 , wherein the sorbent material is a zeolite. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 10 , wherein the working fluid is selected from carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the heating is provided by unutilized heat from one of a refining operation and chemical processing operation. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15 , wherein the unutilized heat is at a temperature of 450° F. or lower. 
     
     
         17 . A sorption system for generating power and chilling, comprising:
 (a) an absorber to absorb a working fluid in a liquid sorbent;   (b) a pump in fluid communication with the absorber to yield a feed of pressurized liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid;   (c) a heat source to heat the feed of pressurized liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid to yield a feed of working fluid at a supercritical state;   (d) a generator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid at a supercritical state to yield power and a feed of working fluid in an at least partially condensed state; and   (e) an evaporator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid in the at least partially condensed state to yield chilling and uncondensed working fluid.   
     
     
         18 . The sorption system of  claim 17 , wherein the working fluid is selected from carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. 
     
     
         19 . The sorption system of  claim 18 , wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         20 . The sorption system of  claim 17 , wherein the evaporator is in fluid communication with the absorber. 
     
     
         21 . The sorption system of  claim 17 , wherein the heat source is an unutilized heat source. 
     
     
         22 . The sorption system of  claim 21 , wherein the heat source includes a vapor generator. 
     
     
         23 . The sorption system of  claim 22 , further comprising a cooler in fluid communication with the vapor generator. 
     
     
         24 . The sorption system of  claim 23 , wherein the cooler includes cooling water. 
     
     
         25 . The sorption system of  claim 22 , wherein the vapor generator is a rectification column. 
     
     
         26 . The sorption system of  claim 17 , wherein the generator is a turboexpander. 
     
     
         27 . A process for generating power and chilling comprising:
 absorbing a working fluid into a liquid sorbent to yield a liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid;   pressurizing the liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid to increased pressure;   heating the pressurized liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid to desorb the working fluid from the sorbent material in a supercritical state;   directing the desorbed working fluid to drive a generator to generate power and to at least partially condense the desorbed working fluid; and   evaporating the at least partially condensed desorbed working fluid to yield chilling and uncondensed working fluid.   
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the working fluid is selected from carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 28 , wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the heating is provided by unutilized heat from one of a refining operation and chemical processing operation. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the unutilized heat is at a temperature of 450° F. or lower. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 27 , wherein the generator is a turboexpander. 
     
     
         33 . A sorption system for generating power, comprising:
 (a) a first vessel in fluid communication with a working fluid and a liquid sorbent material, wherein the working fluid is adsorbed in the liquid sorbent in the first vessel to yield a feed of liquid sorbent with an adsorbed working fluid;   (b) a heat source in fluid communication with the feed of liquid sorbent with the adsorbed working fluid and a heat source, wherein the heat source disengages the liquid sorbent from the adsorbed working fluid to create a feed of working fluid at a supercritical state and a feed of liquid sorbent;   (c) a first generator in fluid communication with the feed of working fluid at supercritical state to yield power and a feed of working fluid in an at least partially condensed state in fluid communication with the first vessel; and   (d) a second generator in fluid communication with the feed of liquid sorbent to yield power and a feed of liquid sorbent in fluid communication with the first vessel.   
     
     
         34 . The sorption system according to  claim 33 , wherein the first generator is a turbo expander. 
     
     
         35 . The sorption system according to  claim 33 , wherein the second generator is a twin screw expander. 
     
     
         36 . The sorption system of  claim 33 , wherein the heat source is an unutilized heat source. 
     
     
         37 . The sorption system of  claim 36 , wherein the heat source includes a vapor generator. 
     
     
         38 . The sorption system of  claim 33 , wherein the working fluid is selected from carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. 
     
     
         39 . A process for generating power, comprising:
 absorbing a working fluid into a liquid sorbent to yield a liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid;   pressurizing the liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid to increased pressure;   heating the pressurized liquid sorbent and absorbed working fluid to desorb the working fluid from the liquid sorbent in a supercritical state;   directing the desorbed working fluid to drive a first generator to generate power and to at least partially condense the desorbed working fluid; and   directing the liquid sorbent to drive a second generator to generate power.   
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 39 , wherein the working fluid is selected from carbon dioxide, methane, ethane, propane, butane, ammonia and chlorofluorocarbons. 
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 40 , wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 39 , wherein the heating is provided by unutilized heat from one of a refining operation and chemical processing operation. 
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 42 , wherein the unutilized heat is at a temperature of 450° F. or lower.