Adsorption chilling for compressing and transporting gases

Abstract

A gas transport system including a conduit (e.g., a pipeline) containing a feed of a gas at a first temperature and first pressure, a source of a refrigerant from an adsorption system in thermal communication with the conduit to cool the feed of gas to a reduced temperature, and at least one compressor to receive the cooled feed of gas and increase the amount of cooled feed of gas to a second pressure, in which the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.

1 . A gas transport system comprising:
 (a) a conduit containing a feed of a gas at a first temperature and first pressure;   (b) a source of a refrigerant from an adsorption system in thermal communication with the conduit to cool the feed of gas to a reduced temperature; and   (c) at least one compressor to receive the cooled feed of gas and increase the amount of cooled feed of gas to a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.   
     
     
         2 . The gas transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the adsorption system includes,
 (i) an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the refrigerant and in fluid communication with the refrigerant;   (ii) a heating source to heat the adsorbent and desorb the refrigerant therefrom; and   (iii) an expansion valve to receive a supply of the refrigerant that has been desorbed from the adsorbent.   
     
     
         3 . The gas transport system of  claim 2 , wherein the adsorption system further includes a cooling source to cool the adsorbent and adsorb the refrigerant. 
     
     
         4 . The gas transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is a greenhouse gas. 
     
     
         5 . The gas transport system of  claim 4 , wherein the greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         6 . The gas transport system of  claim 4 , further comprising a subterranean outlet to receive and sequester the greenhouse gas. 
     
     
         7 . The gas transport system of  claim 6 , wherein the subterranean outlet to receive and sequester the greenhouse gas includes a hydrocarbon deposit. 
     
     
         8 . The gas transport system of  claim 5 , wherein the feed of the carbon dioxide is obtained, at least in part, from an exhaust gas. 
     
     
         9 . The gas transport system of  claim 8 , further comprising a pre-transport adsorption system to selectively adsorb carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas to obtain upon desorption the feed of the carbon dioxide at the first temperature and first pressure. 
     
     
         10 . The gas transport system of  claim 5 , wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         11 . The gas transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source includes a supply of heating fluid in thermal communication with the feed of gas exiting the compressor to heat the heating fluid, wherein the feed of gas exiting the compressor is at a second temperature, the second temperature greater than the reduced temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The gas transport system of  claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent is selected from zeolites, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The gas transport system of  claim 1 , wherein a series of at least two compressors are provided to pressurize the feed of gas to an increased pressure. 
     
     
         14 . The gas transport system of  claim 13 , wherein the refrigerant is introduced downstream of a first compressor and upstream of a second compressor to cool the feed of gas prior to entering the second compressor. 
     
     
         15 . A method of transporting a gas comprising:
 (a) providing a conduit containing a feed of a gas at a first temperature and first pressure;   (b) directing a source of a refrigerant from an adsorption system to the conduit to thermally communicate with the conduit and cool the feed of gas to a reduced temperature; and   (c) introducing the cooled feed of gas to at least one compressor to increase the amount of cooled feed of gas to a second pressure, wherein the second pressure is greater than the first pressure.   
     
     
         16 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 15 , wherein the adsorption system includes
 (i) an adsorbent capable of adsorbing the refrigerant and in fluid communication with the refrigerant;   (ii) a heating source to heat the adsorbent and desorb the refrigerant therefrom; and   (iii) an expansion valve to receive a supply of the refrigerant that has been desorbed from the adsorbent.   
     
     
         17 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 16 , wherein the adsorption system further includes a cooling source to cool the adsorbent and adsorb the refrigerant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 15 , wherein the gas is a greenhouse gas. 
     
     
         19 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 18 , wherein the greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         20 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 18 , further comprising introducing the greenhouse gas at the second pressure to a subterranean outlet to receive and sequester the supply of the greenhouse gas. 
     
     
         21 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 20 , wherein the subterranean outlet to receive and sequester the supply of the greenhouse gas includes a hydrocarbon deposit. 
     
     
         22 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 19 , wherein the feed of the carbon dioxide is obtained, at least in part, from an exhaust gas. 
     
     
         23 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 22 , further comprising selectively adsorbing carbon dioxide from the exhaust gas in an adsorption system to obtain upon desorption the feed of the carbon dioxide at the first temperature and first pressure. 
     
     
         24 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 19 , wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         25 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 15 , wherein the heat source includes a supply of heating fluid in thermal communication with the feed of gas exiting the compressor to heat the heating fluid, wherein the feed of gas exiting the compressor is at a second temperature, the second temperature greater than the reduced temperature. 
     
     
         26 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 15 , wherein the adsorbent is selected from zeolites, zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 15 , wherein a series of at least two compressors are provided to obtain the pressurized source of gas. 
     
     
         28 . The method of transporting a gas of  claim 27 , wherein the refrigerant is introduced downstream of a first compressor and upstream of a second compressor to cool the feed of gas prior to entering the second compressor.