Self-Cleaning Desublimating Heat Exchanger for Gas/Vapor Separation

Abstract

A heat exchanger for separating a vapor component from a carrier gas is disclosed. The carrier gas is cooled in an outer chamber, causing a vapor component of the carrier gas to desublimate or condense onto an outer surface of an inner chamber, forming a solid product. A coolant is passed through the inner chamber to cool the carrier gas of the outer chamber. A means for causing the inner chamber to flex is provided, causing the solid product to fall from the outer surface of the inner chamber for collection. In this manner, the vapor component is separated from the carrier gas.

1 . A heat exchanger for separating a vapor component from a carrier gas comprising:
 an outer chamber wherein the carrier gas is cooled, causing a vapor component of the carrier gas to desublimate or condense onto an outer surface of an inner chamber, forming a solid product;   the inner chamber wherein a coolant is passed to cool the carrier gas of the outer chamber; and,   a means for causing the inner chamber to flex, causing the solid product to fall from the outer surface of the inner chamber for collection.   
     
     
         2 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the means for causing the inner chamber to flex comprise a vibration inducing device attached to a portion of the heat exchanger, varying coolant pressure, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the vibration inducing device comprises a piezoelectric actuator, ultrasound emitter, voice coil, linear resonant actuator, shaker, exciter, hydraulic actuator, solenoid actuator, blunt object, manual shaking, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the coolant pressure is varied and the inner chamber is constructed from expanding and contracting corrugated tubes, wherein varying the coolant pressure causes the corrugated tubes to expand and contract. 
     
     
         5 . The heat exchanger of  claim 2 , wherein the coolant pressure is varied rapidly by a pump operating at variable speeds, a valve rapidly opening and closing, or a combination thereof, causing the inner chamber to experience a hammering. 
     
     
         6 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the vapor component comprises water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur trioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, water, any hydrocarbon that has a higher freezing point than the temperature of the coolant, mercury, or combinations thereof, and the carrier gas comprises combustion flue gas, syngas, producer gas, natural gas, steam reforming gas, any hydrocarbon that has a lower freezing point than the temperature of the coolant, light gases, refinery off-gases, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the inner chamber comprises a material that inhibits adsorption of gases, prevents deposition of solids, or a combination thereof, the material comprising ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, natural diamond, man-made diamond, chemical-vapor deposition diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the solid product is collected by a device comprising an auger, a conveyor belt, a roller, a paddlewheel, a bin, a bag, a chute, or a combination thereof, the device attached to the outer chamber by a hopper. 
     
     
         9 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the inner chamber comprises a tube bundle and the outer chamber comprises baffles that direct the carrier gas across the tube bundle. 
     
     
         10 . The heat exchanger of  claim 1 , wherein the inner chamber comprises a flexible hose that is fed the coolant at a velocity that induces a resonance in the flexible hose, causing the flexible hose to undulate in a sinusoidal manner. 
     
     
         11 . A method for using the heat exchanger of  claim 1  for separating a vapor component from a carrier gas in a heat exchanger comprising:
 providing a carrier gas to an outer chamber wherein the carrier gas is cooled, causing a vapor component of the carrier gas to desublimate or condense onto an outer surface of an inner chamber, forming a solid product; 
 passing a coolant through the inner chamber to cool the carrier gas of the outer chamber; and, 
 providing a means for causing the inner chamber to flex, causing the solid product to fall from the outer surface of the inner chamber for collection; 
 whereby the vapor component is separated from the carrier gas. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the means for causing the inner chamber to flex comprise a vibration inducing device attached to a portion of the heat exchanger, varying coolant pressure, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the vibration inducing device comprises a piezoelectric actuator, ultrasound emitter, voice coil, linear resonant actuator, shaker, exciter, hydraulic actuator, solenoid actuator, blunt object, manual shaking, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the coolant pressure is varied and the inner chamber is constructed from expanding and contracting corrugated tubes, wherein varying the coolant pressure causes the corrugated tubes to expand and contract. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the coolant pressure is varied rapidly by a pump operating at variable speeds, a valve rapidly opening and closing, or a combination thereof, causing the inner chamber to experience a hammering. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the vapor component comprises water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur trioxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, water, any hydrocarbon that has a higher freezing point than the temperature of the coolant, mercury, or combinations thereof, and the carrier gas comprises combustion flue gas, syngas, producer gas, natural gas, steam reforming gas, any hydrocarbon that has a lower freezing point than the temperature of the coolant, light gases, refinery off-gases, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the outer surface of the inner chamber comprises a material that inhibits adsorption of gases, prevents deposition of solids, or a combination thereof, the material comprising ceramics, polytetrafluoroethylene, polychlorotrifluoroethylene, natural diamond, man-made diamond, chemical-vapor deposition diamond, polycrystalline diamond, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the solid product is collected by a device comprising an auger, a conveyor belt, a roller, a paddlewheel, a bin, a bag, a chute, or a combination thereof, the device attached to the outer chamber by a hopper. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inner chamber comprises a tube bundle and the outer chamber comprises baffles that direct the carrier gas across the tube bundle. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the inner chamber comprises a flexible hose that is fed the coolant at a velocity that induces a resonance in the flexible hose, causing the flexible hose to undulate in a sinusoidal manner.