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A method for the removal of H2O and CO2 from a gaseous stream comprising H2O and CO2, such as a flue gas. The method initially utilizes an H2O removal sorbent to remove some portion of the H2O, producing a dry gaseous stream and a wet H2O removal sorbent. The dry gaseous stream is subsequently conta

A method for the removal of H2O and CO2 from a gaseous stream comprising H2O and CO2, such as a flue gas. The method initially utilizes an H2O removal sorbent to remove some portion of the H2O, producing a dry gaseous stream and a wet H2O removal sorbent. The dry gaseous stream is subsequently contacted with a CO2 removal sorbent to remove some portion of the CO2, generating a dry CO2 reduced stream and a loaded CO2 removal sorbent. The loaded CO2 removal sorbent is subsequently heated to produce a heated CO2 stream. The wet H2O removal sorbent and the dry CO2 reduced stream are contacted in a first regeneration stage, generating a partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent, and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent and the heated CO2 stream are subsequently contacted in a second regeneration stage. The first and second stage regeneration typically act to retain an initial monolayer of moisture on the various removal sorbents and only remove moisture layers bound to the initial monolayer, allowing for relatively low temperature and pressure operation. Generally the applicable H2O sorption/desorption processes may be conducted at temperatures less than about 70° C. and pressures less than 1.5 atmospheres, with certain operations conducted at temperatures less than about 50° C.

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1. A method of removing CO2 and H2O from a gaseous stream comprising: receiving the gaseous stream, where the gaseous stream comprises CO2 and H2O;establishing the gaseous stream and an H2O removal sorbent at a first temperature and contacting the gaseous stream and the H2O removal sorbent at the fi

1. A method of removing CO2 and H2O from a gaseous stream comprising: receiving the gaseous stream, where the gaseous stream comprises CO2 and H2O;establishing the gaseous stream and an H2O removal sorbent at a first temperature and contacting the gaseous stream and the H2O removal sorbent at the first temperature, and transferring a portion of the H2O from the gaseous stream to the H2O removal sorbent, thereby generating a wet H2O removal sorbent and thereby generating a dry gaseous stream, where the wet H2O removal sorbent comprises the H2O removal sorbent and the portion of the H2O transferred and where the dry gaseous stream comprises the gaseous stream less the portion of the H2O transferred;establishing the dry gaseous stream and a CO2 removal sorbent at a second temperature and contacting the dry gaseous stream and the CO2 removal sorbent at the second temperature, and transferring a portion of the CO2 from the dry gaseous stream to the CO2 removal sorbent, thereby generating a loaded CO2 removal sorbent and thereby generating a dry CO2 reduced stream, where the loaded CO2 removal sorbent comprises the CO2 removal sorbent and the portion of the CO2 transferred and where the dry CO2 reduced stream comprises the dry gaseous stream less the portion of the CO2 transferred;establishing the dry CO2 reduced stream and the wet H2O removal sorbent at a third temperature and contacting the dry CO2 reduced stream and the wet H2O removal sorbent at the third temperature, and transferring a first quantity of H2O from the wet H2O removal sorbent to the dry CO2 reduced stream, where the first quantity of H2O is an amount of the portion of the H2O transferred from the gaseous stream to the H2O removal sorbent, thereby generating a partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent and thereby generating an H2O exhaust stream, where the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent comprises the wet H2O removal sorbent less the first quantity of H2O transferred and where the H2O exhaust stream comprises the dry CO2 reduced stream and the first quantity of H2O transferred;heating the loaded CO2 removal sorbent to a fourth temperature greater than the second temperature and desorbing a gaseous CO2 from the loaded CO2 removal sorbent, thereby generating a regenerated CO2 removal sorbent and thereby generating a heated CO2 stream, where the regenerated CO2 removal sorbent comprises the loaded CO2 removal sorbent less the gaseous CO2 desorbed and where the heated CO2 stream comprises the gaseous CO2 desorbed;establishing the heated CO2 stream and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent at a fifth temperature greater than the third temperature and contacting the heated CO2 stream and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent at the fifth temperature, and transferring a second quantity of H2O from the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent to the heated CO2 stream, where the second quantity of H2O is another amount of the portion of the H2O transferred from the gaseous stream to the H2O removal sorbent, thereby generating a regenerated H2O removal sorbent and thereby generating a CO2 exhaust stream, where the regenerated H2O removal sorbent comprises the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent less the second quantity of H2O and where the CO2 exhaust stream comprises the heated CO2 stream and the second quantity of H2O; andrepeating the receiving a gaseous stream step, the establishing the gaseous stream and the dry H2O removal sorbent at the first temperature step, the establishing the dry gaseous stream and the CO2 removal sorbent at the second temperature step, the establishing the dry CO2 reduced stream and the wet H2O removal sorbent at the third temperature step, the heating the loaded CO2 removal sorbent to the fourth temperature step, and the establishing the heated CO2 stream and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent at the fifth temperature step using the regenerated H2O removal sorbent as the H2O removal sorbent and using the regenerated CO2 removal sorbent as the CO2 removal sorbent. 2. The method of claim 1 where the wet H2O removal sorbent has a first moisture content and where the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent has a second moisture content, and where the second moisture content is equal to at least 50% of the first moisture content. 3. The method of claim 2 where the regenerated H2O removal sorbent has a third moisture content, and where the third moisture content is equal to at least 30% of the first moisture content. 4. The method of claim 3 where the third moisture content is equal to at least 50% of the second moisture content. 5. The method of claim 4 where the H2O removal sorbent has an initial moisture content, and where the initial moisture content is equal to at least 30% of the first moisture content and equal to at least 50% of the second moisture content. 6. The method of claim 5 where the first temperature, the second temperature, the third temperature, and the fifth temperature are less than 70° C. 7. The method of claim 6 where the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature are less than 50° C. and where the fifth temperature is greater than 50° C. 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising contacting the gaseous stream and the H2O removal sorbent at a first pressure, contacting the dry gaseous stream and the CO2 removal sorbent at a second pressure, contacting the dry CO2 reduced stream and the wet H2O removal sorbent at a third pressure, heating the loaded CO2 loyal sorbent at a fourth pressure, and contacting the heated CO2 stream and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent at a fifth pressure, where the first pressure, the second pressure, and the fifth pressure are less than 1.5 atmospheres. 9. The method of claim 8 where the H2O removal sorbent comprises a material having a specific surface area greater than 300 m2 per gram of the material and a pore greater than 0.40 ml per gram of the material. 10. The method of claim 9 where the material is an activated alumina, a 3A zeolite, a 4A zeolite, a silica gel, an absorbent clay, or mixtures thereof. 11. The method of claim 1 where the gaseous stream provides a first mass flow rate of H2O and where the H2O exhaust stream provides a second mass flow rate of H2O, and where the second mass flow rate of H2O is less than 70% of the first mass flow rate of H2O. 12. The method of claim 11 where the second mass flow rate of H2O is greater than about 40% of the first mass flow rate of H2O. 13. The method of claim 12 where the CO2 exhaust stream provides a third mass flow rate of H2O, where the third mass flow rate of H2O is greater than or equal to 30% of the first mass flow rate of H2O and less than or equal to 60% of the first mass flow rate of H2O. 14. The method of claim 13 where the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature are less than 50° C., where the fourth temperature is greater than 160° C., and where the fifth temperature is greater than 50° C. and less than 70° C. 15. A method of removing CO2 and H2O from a gaseous stream comprising: contacting the gaseous stream and an H2O removal sorbent in a H2O capture reactor at a first temperature, where the gaseous stream comprises CO2 and H2O, and transferring a portion of the H2O from the gaseous stream to the H2O removal sorbent, thereby generating a wet H2O removal sorbent and thereby generating a dry gaseous stream, where the wet H2O removal sorbent comprises the H2O removal sorbent and the portion of the H2O transferred and where the dry gaseous stream comprises the gaseous stream less the portion of the H2O transferred;discharging the dry gaseous stream from the H2O capture reactor to a CO2 capture reactor;transferring the wet H2O removal sorbent from the H2O capture reactor to a first H2O regeneration reactor;contacting the dry gaseous stream and a CO2 removal sorbent in the CO2 capture reactor at a second temperature and transferring a portion of the CO2 from the dry gaseous stream to the CO2 removal sorbent, thereby generating a loaded CO2 removal sorbent and thereby generating a dry CO2 reduced stream, where the loaded CO2 removal sorbent comprises the CO2 removal sorbent and the portion of the CO2 transferred and where the dry CO2 reduced stream comprises the dry gaseous stream less the portion of the CO2 transferred;discharging the dry CO2 reduced stream from the CO2 capture reactor to the first H2O regeneration reactor;transferring the loaded CO2 removal sorbent from the CO2 capture reactor to a CO2 regeneration reactor;contacting the dry CO2 reduced stream and the wet H2O removal sorbent in the first H2O regeneration reactor at a third temperature and transferring a first quantity of H2O from the wet H2O removal sorbent to the dry CO2 reduced stream, where the first quantity of H2O is an amount of the portion of the H2O transferred from the gaseous stream the H2O removal sorbent, thereby generating a partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent and thereby generating an H2O exhaust stream, where the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent comprises the wet H2O removal sorbent less the first quantity of H2O transferred and where the H2O exhaust stream comprises the dry CO2 reduced stream and the first quantity of H2O transferred;exhausting the H2O exhaust stream from the first H2O regeneration reactor;transferring the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent from the first H2O regeneration reactor to a second H2O regeneration reactor;heating the loaded CO2 removal sorbent in the CO2 regeneration reactor to a fourth temperature greater than the second temperature and desorbing a gaseous CO2 from the loaded CO2 removal sorbent, thereby generating a regenerated CO2 removal sorbent and thereby generating a heated CO2 stream, where the regenerated CO2 removal sorbent comprises the loaded CO2 removal sorbent less the gaseous CO2 desorbed and where the heated CO2stream comprises the gaseous CO2 desorbed;discharging the heated CO2 stream from the CO2 regeneration reactor to the second H2O regeneration reactor;contacting the heated CO2 stream and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent in the second H2O regeneration reactor at a fifth temperature, where the fifth temperature is greater than the third temperature, and transferring a second quantity of H2O from the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent to the heated CO2 stream, where the second quantity of H2O is another amount of the portion of the H2O transferred from the gaseous stream to the H2O removal sorbent, thereby generating a regenerated H2O removal sorbent and thereby generating a CO2 exhaust stream, where the regenerated H2O removal sorbent comprises the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent less the second quantity of H2O and where the CO2 exhaust stream comprises the heated CO2 stream and the second quantity of H2O;exhausting the CO2 exhaust stream from the second H2O regeneration reactor;transferring the regenerated H2O removal sorbent from the second H2O regeneration reactor to the H2O capture reactor and transferring the regenerated CO2 removal sorbent from the CO2 regeneration reactor to the CO2 capture reactor, and repeating the contacting the gaseous stream and the H2O removal sorbent step, the discharging the dry gaseous stream step, the transferring the wet H2O removal sorbent step, the contacting the dry gaseous stream and the CO2 removal sorbent step, the discharging the dry CO2 reduced stream step, the transferring the loaded CO2 removal sorbent step, the contacting the dry CO2 reduced stream and the wet H2O removal sorbent step, the exhausting the H2O exhaust stream step, the transferring the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent step, the heating the loaded CO2 removal sorbent step, the discharging the heated CO2 stream step, the contacting the heated CO2 stream and the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent step, and the exhausting the CO2 exhaust stream step, using the regenerated H2O removal sorbent as the H2O removal sorbent and using the regenerated CO2 removal sorbent as the CO2 removal sorbent. 16. The method of claim 15 where a first moisture content transfer rate is equal to a mass of H2O sorbed on the wet H2O removal sorbent and transferred to the first H2O regeneration reactor per unit time, and where a second moisture content transfer rate equal to a mass of H2O sorbed on the partially regenerated H2O removal sorbent and transferred from the first H2O regeneration reactor per unit time, and where the second moisture content transfer rate is equal to at least 50% of the first moisture content transfer rate. 17. The method of claim 16 where a third moisture content transfer rate is equal to a mass of H2O sorbed on the regenerated H2O removal sorbent and transferred from the second H2O regeneration reactor per unit time, and where the third moisture content transfer rate is at least 30% of the first moisture content transfer rate and at least 50% of the second moisture content transfer rate. 18. The method of claim 17 where the first temperature, the second temperature, and the third temperature are less than 50° C., and where the fifth temperature is greater than 50° C. and less than 70° C. 19. The method of claim 18 further comprising maintaining the H2O capture reactor at a first pressure, maintaining the CO2 capture reactor at a second pressure, maintaining the first H2O regeneration reactor at a third pressure, maintaining the CO2 regeneration reactor at a fourth pressure, and maintaining the second H2O regeneration reactor at a fifth pressure, where the first pressure, the second pressure, and the fifth pressure are less than 1.5 atmospheres. 20. The method of claim 19 where the H2O removal sorbent comprises a material having a specific surface area greater than 300 m2 per gram of the material and a pore volume greater than 0.40 ml per gram of the material.