High temperature hydrator

Abstract

An apparatus includes a fluidized bed vessel with inlet ports arranged to receive at least one feed stream comprising calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, water, and a fluidizing gas into a fluidized bed vessel. The calcium oxide contacts the water to initiate a hydrating reaction to produce calcium hydroxide and heat. The fluidized bed vessel is configured to operate with a fluidization velocity that fluidizes and separates at least a portion of the calcium carbonate and at least a portion of the calcium oxide into a first fluidization regime, and at least a portion of the calcium hydroxide and at least another portion of the calcium oxide into a second fluidization regime. The apparatus further includes a heat transfer assembly configured to transfer heat of the hydrating reaction to the calcium carbonate, and a cyclone configured to separate a portion of the fluidization gas from a portion of at least one of the calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 a fluidized bed vessel that comprises one or more inlet ports arranged to receive at least one feed stream comprising calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, water, and a fluidizing gas into a volume of the fluidized bed vessel, the fluidized bed vessel comprising a zone where the calcium oxide contacts the water to initiate a hydrating reaction to produce calcium hydroxide and heat, the fluidized bed vessel configured to operate with a fluidization velocity that fluidizes and separates at least a portion of the calcium carbonate and at least a portion of the calcium oxide into a first fluidization regime, and at least a portion of the calcium hydroxide and at least another portion of the calcium oxide into a second fluidization regime, the first fluidization regime different than the second fluidization regime;   a heat transfer assembly thermally coupled to the fluidized bed vessel and configured to transfer a portion of the heat of the hydrating reaction to the calcium carbonate;   a cyclone fluidly coupled to the fluidized bed vessel and configured to separate a portion of the fluidization gas from a portion of at least one of the calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide; and   an outlet port configured to separate the fluidization gas from a portion of at least one of the calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide, and to discharge a portion of at least one of the calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the fluidized bed vessel is configured to contain a bubbling bed regime and allows for at least one of a circulating turbulent or transport regime. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a solids classifier fluidly coupled to the fluidized bed vessel and the outlet port, the solids classifier configured to separate a portion of at least one of the calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide from another portion of at least one of the calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the heat transfer assembly is configured to transfer a portion of a heat contained in the calcium oxide feed stream to the calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the bubbling bed regime comprises calcium carbonate and at least one of a transport or turbulent regime comprising calcium hydroxide. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the fluidized bed vessel is configured to operate with a fluidizing gas comprising steam. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the cyclone further comprises a port fluidly coupled to a non-mechanical seal, the non-mechanical seal fluidly coupled to the fluidized bed vessel and configured to recirculate at least a portion of one of calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide in the transport or turbulent fluid regime back into the fluidized bed vessel. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the non-mechanical seal comprises a loop seal. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one feed stream comprises liquid water, the heat transfer assembly configured to transfer heat from the fluidized bed vessel to the liquid water to generate a steam stream. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein in the heat exchange assembly comprises a heat tubing system thermally coupled to the fluidization bed vessel, the heat tubing system configured to transfer a portion of a heat from the fluidization bed vessel to a fluid stream within the heat tubing system. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is thermally and fluidly coupled to a dense fluidized bed heat exchanger. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the cyclone further comprises a fluidly coupled port that is configured to enable the fluidization gas to recirculate back to the fluidization gas inlet port. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the solid classifier is configured to separate at least a portion of the calcium carbonate from a portion of at least one of the calcium hydroxide or the calcium oxide based on at least one of particle size or particle density. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the solid classifier is configured to allow the at least one of calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide to return to the fluidized bed vessel. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the solid classifier comprises a cone and cap sloped stripper or a sieve. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is fluidly coupled to a caustic recovery process. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the caustic recovery process comprises a direct air capture process, a carbon dioxide capture process or a pulp and paper process. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one feed stream comprising calcium oxide, calcium carbonate, water, or a fluidizing gas further comprises sensible heat, and the heat transfer assembly is configured to transfer at least a portion of the sensible heat to the calcium carbonate to enable at least one of heating or drying of the calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein each of the calcium oxide, the calcium carbonate, the water, and the fluidizing gas are transferred into the fluidized bed in a separate inlet port. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the calcium oxide and at least one of at least a portion of the water or a portion of the fluidizing gas are transferred into the fluidized bed in a first inlet port, and the calcium carbonate and at least one of at least a portion of the water or a portion of the fluidizing gas are transferred into the fluidized bed in a second inlet port that is separate from the first inlet port.