초록 ▼

A process to purify biogases (i.e., landfill gas and municipal digester gas), to enable such biogases to be utilized to generate electricity and heat. Biogases from these sources generally include small amounts of organosilicons (which are particularly harmful to power generation equipment, and espe

A process to purify biogases (i.e., landfill gas and municipal digester gas), to enable such biogases to be utilized to generate electricity and heat. Biogases from these sources generally include small amounts of organosilicons (which are particularly harmful to power generation equipment, and especially harmful to micro-turbines, reciprocating internal combustion engines, and large turbines), and halogenated chemical species (which can foul expensive emission catalysts). A fluidized media bed reactor is configured to concentrate offending organics, and is coupled with another reactor vessel configured to strip the offending organics off saturated media with a hot inert gas. The removed organics are further concentrated into an inert gas stream that is conveyed to a small flare for greater than 99% destruction. The energy required to strip the organics from the spent media, and to energize the flare, is generated by the combustion of a small quantity of the purified biogas.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the following: 1. A process for removing organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from a gas stream to achieve a clean fuel gas, comprising the steps of: (a) passing the gas stream through a filter vessel including a filter media

The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the following: 1. A process for removing organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from a gas stream to achieve a clean fuel gas, comprising the steps of: (a) passing the gas stream through a filter vessel including a filter media configured to remove organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from the gas stream, thereby producing a clean fuel gas and spent filter media; (b) removing a portion of the spent filter media from the filter vessel; (c) using a portion of the clean fuel gas to generate a hot inert gas; (d) using the hot inert gas to remove contaminants from the spent filter media, thereby regenerating the filter media; (e) returning the regenerated filter media to the filter vessel; and (f) using a portion of the clean fuel gas to treat the contaminants removed from the spent filter media, such that an exhaust from treating the contaminants is discharged without contacting the spent filter media. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of passing the gas stream through a filter vessel including a filter media configured to remove organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from the gas stream comprises the step of directing the gas stream upward through the filter media. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of removing a portion of the spent filter media from the filter vessel comprises the step of removing spent filter media from a lower portion of the filter vessel, such that a direction of a motion of the spent filter media substantially opposes a direction of the gas stream. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of using the hot inert gas to remove contaminants from the spent filter media, thereby regenerating the filter media, comprises the step of directing the hot inert gas upward through the spent filter media. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of returning the regenerated filter media to the filter vessel comprises the step of removing regenerated filter media from a lower portion of a regeneration vessel, such that a direction of a motion of the regenerated filter media substantially opposes a direction of the hot inert gas. 6. A process for removing organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from a gas stream to achieve a clean fuel gas, comprising the steps of: (a) passing the gas stream through a filter media configured to remove organosilicon and halogenated organic contaminants from the gas stream, the filter media being contained within a first volume; (b) collecting a clean fuel gas exiting from the first volume the clean fuel gas being substantially free of the organosilicon and halogenated organic contaminants; (c) removing spent filter media loaded with the organosilicon and halogenated organic contaminants from the first volume and directing them into a second volume; (d) using a portion of the clean fuel gas collected from the first volume to generate a hot inert gas, the hot inert gas being substantially free of the organosilicon and halogenated organic contaminants; (e) directing the hot inert gas into the second volume to remove contaminants from the spent filter media, thereby regenerating the filter media, such that substantially all of the energy required to remove the contaminants is provided by the hot inert gas; (f) collecting a first exhaust gas from the second volume, the first exhaust gas including the organosilicon and halogenated organic contaminants; (g) using a portion of the clean fuel gas collected from the first volume to treat the halogenated organic contaminants removed from the spent filter media in the first exhaust gas, thereby generating a second exhaust gas including the organosilicon contaminants; and (h) preventing the organosilicon contaminants from depositing undesirable silicates in the second volume by discharging the second exhaust gas without allowing the second exhaust gas to enter the second volume. 7. A system for removing organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from a gas stream to achieve a clean fuel gas, comprising: (a) a filter vessel including a filter media configured to remove organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from the gas stream, thereby producing a clean fuel gas and spent filter media; (b) a regeneration vessel configured to remove contaminants from spent filter media; (c) a filter media transfer subsystem configured to transfer spent filter media from the filter vessel to the regeneration vessel, and to transfer regenerated filter media from the regeneration vessel to the filter vessel; (d) a hot inert gas generator configured to use a portion of the clean fuel gas to generate a hot inert gas, the hot inert gas generator being coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel to receive the clean fuel gas, and with the regeneration vessel, to direct hot inert gas into the regeneration vessel to regenerate the spent filter media; and (e) a flare subsystem configured to use a portion of the clean fuel gas to treat contaminants removed from the spent filter media by the hot inert gas, the flare subsystem being coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel to receive the clean fuel gas, and with the regeneration vessel to receive the hot inert gas loaded with contaminants removed from the regenerated filter media, the flare subsystem being configured to discharge exhaust from treating the contaminants without allowing the exhaust to contact the spent filter media. 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a pressure lock volume configured to maintain high pressure conditions in the filter vessel, the pressure lock volume comprising: (a) a volume selectively coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel and the regeneration vessel; (b) a first valve configured to selectively couple the volume in fluid communication with the filter vessel; and (c) a second valve configured to selectively couple the volume in fluid communication with the regeneration vessel. 9. A system for removing organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from a gas stream to achieve a clean fuel gas, comprising: (a) a filter vessel including a filter media configured to remove organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from the gas stream, thereby producing a clean fuel gas and spent filter media; (b) a regeneration vessel configured to remove contaminants from spent filter media; (c) a filter media transfer subsystem configured to transfer spent filter media from the filter vessel to the regeneration vessel, and to transfer regenerated filter media from the regeneration vessel to the filter vessel; (d) a hot inert gas generator configured to use a portion of the clean fuel gas to generate a hot inert gas, the hot inert gas generator being coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel to receive the clean fuel gas, and with the regeneration vessel, to direct hot inert gas into the regeneration vessel to regenerate the spent filter media; (e) a flare subsystem configured to use a portion of the clean fuel gas to treat contaminants removed from the spent filter media by the hot inert gas, the flare subsystem being coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel to receive the clean fuel gas, and with the regeneration vessel to receive the hot inert gas loaded with contaminants removed from the regenerated filter media; and (f) a pressure lock volume configured to maintain high pressure conditions in the filter vessel, the pressure lock volume comprising: (i) a volume selectively coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel and the regeneration vessel; (ii) a first valve configured to selectively couple the volume in fluid communication with the filter vessel; and (iii) a second valve configured to selectively couple the volume in fluid communication with the regeneration vessel. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using a portion of the clean fuel gas to generate a hot inert gas comprises the step of using a first combustor to generate the hot inert gas, and the step of using a portion of the clean fuel gas to treat the contaminants removed from the spent filter media comprises the step of using a different combustor to treat the contaminants. 11. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using a portion of the clean fuel gas to treat the contaminants removed from the spent filter media comprises the step of discharging the exhaust from the treatment of the contaminants removed from the spent filter media, without allowing the exhaust to contact the spent filter media. 12. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of using the hot inert gas to remove contaminants from the spent filter media, thereby regenerating the filter media comprises the step of removing the contaminants such that substantially all of the energy required to remove the contaminants is provided by the hot inert gas. 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using a pressure lock volume when removing the portion of the spent filter media from the filter vessel and returning the regenerated filter media to the filter vessel, the pressure lock volume being configured to maintain high pressure conditions in the filter vessel. 14. A system for removing organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from a gas stream to achieve a clean fuel gas, comprising: (a) a filter vessel including a filter media configured to remove organosilicon and halogenated contaminants from the gas stream, thereby producing a clean fuel gas and spent filter media; (b) a regeneration vessel configured to remove contaminants from spent filter media; (c) a filter media transfer subsystem configured to transfer spent filter media from the filter vessel to the regeneration vessel, and to transfer regenerated filter media from the regeneration vessel to the filter vessel; (d) a hot inert gas generator configured to use a portion of the clean fuel gas to generate a hot inert gas, the hot inert gas generator being coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel to receive the clean fuel gas, and with the regeneration vessel, to direct hot inert gas into the regeneration vessel to regenerate the spent filter media, such that substantially all of the energy required to remove the contaminants is provided by the hot inert gas directed through the regeneration vessel; and (e) a flare subsystem configured to use a portion of the clean fuel gas to treat contaminants removed from the spent filter media by the hot inert gas, the flare subsystem being coupled in fluid communication with the filter vessel to receive the clean fuel gas, and with the regeneration vessel to receive the hot inert gas loaded with contaminants removed from the regenerated filter media.