Carbon Dioxide, as it is co-produced in only small amounts, relative to natural sources of emission such as the Earth's inexorable processes of planetary volcanism, from our essential use of Coal in the generation of abundant and truly economical electric power, is a valuable raw material resource.
That fact is indirectly confirmed by the document we enclose in this dispatch; which is a bit redundant, relative to a report we made seven months ago, as accessible via:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Reclaims CO2 for Hydrocarbon Synthesis | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent Application 20100028242 - Recovery of CO2 from Seawater/Aqueous Bicarbonate Systems; February, 2010; Inventors: Heather Willauer, Dennis Hardy, et. al.; Naval Research Laboratory, DC; The present invention is generally directed to a system for recovering CO2 from seawater or aqueous bicarbonate solutions using a gas permeable membrane with multiple layers. At elevated pressures, gaseous CO2 and bound CO2 in the ionic form of bicarbonate and carbonate diffuse from the seawater or bicarbonate solution through the multiple layers of the membrane. Also disclosed is the related method of recovering CO2 from seawater or aqueous bicarbonate solutions".
And, which United States Patent Application, as we took it, was disclosure by the United States Navy of technology they intend to use to recover Carbon Dioxide from the environment, so that it can be consumed and utilized in the efficient synthesis of liquid hydrocarbon fuels, via one or more of the Carbon Dioxide recycling technologies already developed by the Navy and their contractors, such as, for example, that seen in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy 2008 CO2 to Synfuel | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 7,420,004 - Producing Synthetic Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels; 2008; The USA, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy; Abstract: A process for producing synthetic hydrocarbons that reacts carbon dioxide, obtained from seawater or air, and hydrogen obtained from water, with a catalyst in a chemical process such as reverse water gas shift combined with Fischer Tropsch synthesis".
And, which "Synthetic Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels", as the Navy has demonstrated, as seen in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Says Synthetic Fuel Better | Research & Development; concerning: "Performance, Efficiency and Emissions Comparison of Diesel Fuel and a Fischer-Tropsch Synthetic Fuel in a CFR Single Cylinder Diesel Engine; 2008; U.S. Naval Academy; Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthetic fuels have been shown to produce lower soot and oxides of nitrogen emissions than petroleum-based diesel";
are cleaner-burning and higher-performance than conventional, petroleum-derived liquid fuels.
So valuable a commodity is Carbon Dioxide, in fact, that the Navy, in addition to the technology embodied in our above-cited report concerning "United States Patent Application 20100028242 - Recovery of CO2 from Seawater/Aqueous Bicarbonate Systems", is, as seen in:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Recovers More CO2 for Hydrocarbon Synthesis | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent Application 20110281959 - Extraction of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen from Seawater and Hydrocarbon Production Therefrom; 2011; The Government of the United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy";
developing even additional technologies and processes for the efficient mining of it from our environment.
But, herein, we wanted to report that other independent technical experts in the employ of our United States Government have just recently confirmed the validity of the technology disclosed in "United States Patent Application 20100028242", through, as excerpted from the initial link in this dispatch, issuance of:
"United States Patent 8,313,557 - Recovery of CO2 from Seawater/Aqueous Bicarbonate Systems
Date: November 20, 2012
Inventors: Heather Willauer, et. al., VA and MD
Assignee: The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy
Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a system for recovering CO2 from seawater or aqueous bicarbonate solutions using a gas permeable membrane with multiple layers. At elevated pressures, gaseous CO2 and bound CO2 in the ionic form of bicarbonate and carbonate diffuse from the seawater or bicarbonate solution through the multiple layers of the membrane. Also disclosed is the related method of recovering CO2 from seawater or aqueous bicarbonate solutions.
(Make no mistake, the "aqueous bicarbonate solutions", as seen for one example in:
West Virginia Coal Association | Columbia University August 2012 Practical CO2 Air Capture | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,246,731 - Systems and Methods for Extraction of Carbon Dioxide from Air; 2012; The Trustees of Columbia University; The present invention describes methods and systems for extracting, capturing, reducing, storing, sequestering, or disposing of carbon dioxide (CO2), particularly from the air. The CO2 extraction methods and systems involve ... exposing air containing carbon dioxide to - - a basic solution which absorbs carbon dioxide and produces a carbonate solution. The solution is causticized and the temperature is increased to release carbon dioxide ... . ... Thereafter, fuels such as methanol, diesel, gasoline, dimethyl-ether (DME), etc. can be made";
are exactly what we would get from some more advanced and recently-developed systems for efficiently mining perfectly free Carbon Dioxide from the air we all breathe, specifically for the purposes of recycling that Carbon Dioxide into all sorts of seemingly-desirable hydrocarbon compounds)
Claims: A system to recover CO2 from seawater and/or aqueous bicarbonate systems, comprising: a gas permeable membrane comprising multiple layers; and a solution comprising seawater, aqueous bicarbonate, or both, wherein the solution is under a pressure greater than 100 psi; wherein the solution comprises bound CO2 in the ionic form of bicarbonate and carbonate and wherein these ions dissociate and release CO2; and wherein gaseous CO2 and dissociated CO2 diffuse from the solution through the membrane.
(We've made one or two previous reports concerning the use of such gas separation "membrane" technology for the efficient extraction of Carbon Dioxide from various gas mixtures. We'll have more on it in reports to follow, but, for now, as confirmed via:
Honeywell’s UOP Separex™ Membrane System Selected for Apache North American Shale Gas Processing; "'Honeywell's UOP Separex (TM) Membrane System Selected for Apache American Shale Gas Processing'; UOP membrane system will remove carbon dioxide from 150 million standard cubic feet per day of unconventional gas. (It) has been selected for the removal of contaminants from natural gas produced from a large shale formation found in British Columbia. Apache Corp. will use the UOP Separex membrane system to remove carbon dioxide from shale gas at its operations in the Horn River Basin of northeastern British Columbia. Removing impurities is a required step in upgrading the gas so it can be transported by pipeline for commercial use. The UOP Separex membrane technology upgrades natural gas streams by removing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and water vapor in a single process to meet the quality standards specified by pipeline transmission companies, as well as end-users of the natural gas";
it is real, available, and being employed to extract CO2 on a practical, commercial basis from a natural resource that is peculiarly labeled as a "clean energy alternative" when it is, as it is extracted from the ground, sometimes absolutely loaded with Carbon Dioxide, and some other, but nasty, stuff; so much so that the CO2 has to be stripped from it before it is even transported on for further processing or use.)
The system ... wherein at least one layer of the gas permeable membrane is a microporous polypropylene membrane (and) wherein the pressure is about 500 psi.
A method for recovering CO2 from seawater and/or aqueous bicarbonate systems, comprising the steps of: pressurizing a solution comprising seawater, aqueous bicarbonate, or both to greater than 100 psi; contacting the pressurized solution with a gas permeable membrane comprising multiple layers; and dissociating bound CO2 from bicarbonate and carbonate ions in the solution and releasing CO2; wherein gaseous CO2 and dissociated CO2 diffuse from the pressurized solution through the membrane.
The system ... wherein at least one layer of the gas permeable membrane is a microporous polypropylene membrane (and) wherein the pressure is about 500 psi.
A method for recovering CO2 from seawater and/or aqueous bicarbonate systems, comprising the steps of: pressurizing a solution comprising seawater, aqueous bicarbonate, or both to greater than 100 psi; contacting the pressurized solution with a gas permeable membrane comprising multiple layers; and dissociating bound CO2 from bicarbonate and carbonate ions in the solution and releasing CO2; wherein gaseous CO2 and dissociated CO2 diffuse from the pressurized solution through the membrane.
Background and Field: The present invention relates generally to CO2 extraction and, more specifically, to recovery of CO2 from seawater and/or aqueous bicarbonate systems using a multi-layer gas permeable membrane.
There is interest in producing synthetic fuel from renewable sources on sea-based vessels to avoid the risks in procuring fuel from foreign sources and/or in maintaining long supply lines. The procurement and transportation risk can be reduced by producing synthetic fuel from hydrogen and carbon generated near the point of fuel use.
There is interest in producing synthetic fuel from renewable sources on sea-based vessels to avoid the risks in procuring fuel from foreign sources and/or in maintaining long supply lines. The procurement and transportation risk can be reduced by producing synthetic fuel from hydrogen and carbon generated near the point of fuel use.
Although there are current technologies to synthesize hydrocarbon fuel on land given sufficient primary energy resources such as coal, these technologies are not practical for sea-based generation.
The ocean is a possible resource for carbon dioxide. In the atmosphere, the concentration of CO2 approximately is 370 ppm (and) CO2 in seawater is about 140 times greater than air.
The ocean is a possible resource for carbon dioxide. In the atmosphere, the concentration of CO2 approximately is 370 ppm (and) CO2 in seawater is about 140 times greater than air.
(If) carbon dioxide could be economically and efficiently extracted ... (then it) could be proposed to utilize this carbon as a chemical feedstock in processes such as catalytic polymerization with hydrogen.
Gas permeable membranes are available commercially for the removal or addition of gases to liquids. Most of these applications are near atmospheric pressure and include water purification, blood oxygenation and artificial lung devices.
Gas permeable membranes are available commercially for the removal or addition of gases to liquids. Most of these applications are near atmospheric pressure and include water purification, blood oxygenation and artificial lung devices.
Summary: the present invention which provides a system for recovering CO2 from seawater and/or aqueous bicarbonate solutions using a gas permeable membrane with multiple layers. At elevated pressures, gaseous CO2 and bound CO2 in the ionic form of bicarbonate and carbonate diffuse from the seawater through the multiple layers of the membrane. Also disclosed is the related method of recovering CO2 from seawater or aqueous bicarbonate systems."
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Make no mistake:
The technology disclosed by our subject, "United States Patent 8,313,557 - Recovery of CO2 from Seawater/Aqueous Bicarbonate Systems" is an efficient and practical component of an overall system that, first, extracts Carbon Dioxide from the environment around us, and, then, as again confirmed by our own United States Navy, in our report of:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Awarded September, 2011, CO2 Recycling Patent | Research & Development; concerning: "United States Patent 8,017,658 - Synthesis of Hydrocarbons via Catalytic Reduction of CO2; 2011; The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy; Abstract: A method of: introducing hydrogen and a feed gas containing at least 50 % carbon dioxide into a reactor containing a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst; and heating the hydrogen and carbon dioxide to a temperature of at least about 190 C. to produce hydrocarbons";
converts that reclaimed Carbon Dioxide into liquid hydrocarbon fuels; liquid fuels which, as seen in:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Announces $3/Gallon Jet Fuel from CO2 | Research & Development; concerning: "'Fueling the Fleet, Navy Looks to the Seas'; 2012; Refueling U.S. Navy vessels, at sea and underway, is a costly endeavor in terms of logistics, time, fiscal constraints and threats to national security and sailors at sea. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is developing the chemistry for producing jet fuel from renewable resources in theater. The process envisioned would catalytically convert CO2 and H2 directly to liquid hydrocarbon fuel ... . Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are developing a process to extract carbon dioxide (CO2) and produce hydrogen gas (H2) from seawater, subsequently catalytically converting the CO2 and H2 into jet fuel by a gas-to-liquids process. NRL has successfully developed and demonstrated technologies for the recovery of CO2 and the production of H2 from seawater ..., and the conversion of CO2 and H2 to ... jet fuel (which) initial studies predict ... would cost in the range of $3 to $6 per gallon to produce";
could be very cost-competitive in today's world.
In other words, if we play our cards right, rather than paying Cap and Trade taxes, or subsidizing, through mandated geologic sequestration of CO2, the scrounging by Big Oil of secondary petroleum from depleted natural reservoirs; and, rather than continuing to buy, through our purchases of OPEC hydrocarbon fuels, more toe rings for the desert sheiks' harem girls; we could, instead, using our own US Coal Country natural resources, start making stuff, right here in US Coal Country, like relatively quite affordable "methanol, diesel, gasoline" and "jet fuel".
And, speaking of "playing our cards", it's far, far past time our Coal Country press pulled their noses out of the Shale Gas industry's stinky tailpipe and started dealing out some real news, ain't it?