United States Patent Application: 0130008792
As we have by now documented many times, the United States Government, as embodied in the United States Navy, and, by extension, the United States Department of Defense, knows full well that Carbon Dioxide, as is co-produced in only a small way, relative to natural sources of emission, such as volcanoes, from our essential use of Coal in the generation of genuinely abundant and truly affordable electric power, is a valuable raw material resource.
As seen in our reports 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; Assignee: 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. The hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactor electricity, nuclear waste heat conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, or any other source that is fossil fuel-free, such as wind or wave energy. The process can be either land based or sea based"; and:
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; Assignee: The USA 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 in the reactor";
the US Navy has been at work on a suite of technologies that enable the utilization and consumption of captured Carbon Dioxide in the synthesis of hydrocarbon fuels.
And, as we've also seen, for just two examples, in:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Recovers Environmental CO2 for Hydrocarbon Synthesis | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent 8,313,557 - Recovery of CO2 from Seawater/Aqueous Bicarbonate Systems; 2012; Assignee: The USA as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy; Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a system for recovering CO2 from seawater"; and:
West Virginia Coal Association | US Navy Reclaims More CO2 for Hydrocarbon Synthesis | Research & Development; concerning: "US Patent Application 20110281959 - Extraction of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen from Seawater and Hydrocarbon Production Therefrom; 2011; Assignee: The USA as represented by the Secretary of the Navy; Abstract: Apparatus for seawater acidification including an ion exchange, cathode and anode electrode compartments and cation-permeable membranes that separate the electrode compartments from the ion exchange compartment. Means is provided for feeding seawater through the ion exchange compartment and for feeding a dissociable liquid media through the anode and cathode electrode compartments. A cathode is located in the cathode electrode compartment and an anode is located in the anode electrode compartment and a means for application of current to the cathode and anode is provided. A method for the acidification of seawater by subjecting the seawater to an ion exchange reaction to exchange H+ ions for Na+ ions. Carbon dioxide may be extracted from the acidified seawater. Optionally, the ion exchange reaction can be conducted under conditions which produce hydrogen as well as carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide and hydrogen may be used to produce hydrocarbons";
the Navy is assertively developing related technologies that enable the efficient gathering of Carbon Dioxide, and in some cases Hydrogen, specifically "to produce hydrocarbons".
And, herein, we submit another of those supporting technologies; one which we believe to represent an improvement on, or improved integral function of, the CO2-recovery processes represented by ""US Patent 8,313,557 - Recovery of CO2 from Seawater/Aqueous Bicarbonate Systems".
Comment follows excerpts from the initial link in this dispatch to:
"United States Patent 20130008792 - Electrodialytic Separation of CO2 Gas from Seawater
ELECTRODIALYTIC SEPARATION OF CO2 GAS FROM SEAWATER - PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
January 10, 2013
Inventors: Matthew Eisaman and Karl Littau, California
Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Palo Alto, CA
(PARC (company) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "PARC (Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated), formerly Xerox PARC, is a research and development company in Palo Alto, California, with a distinguished reputation for its contributions to information technology and hardware systems. Founded in 1970 as a division of Xerox Corporation, PARC has been responsible for such well known and important developments as laser printing, Ethernet, the modern personal computer, graphical user interface (GUI), object-oriented programming, ubiquitous computing, amorphous silicon (a-Si) applications, and advancing very-large-scale-integration (VLSI) for semiconductors. Xerox formed Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2002.")
Government Interests: This invention was made with Government support under contract HR0011--10-C-0147 awarded by DARPA, an agency of the United States Department of Defense. The Government has certain rights in this invention.
Abstract: A method comprises flowing process solution and electrode solution into a BPMED (bipolar membrane electrodialysis) apparatus, applying a voltage such that the process solution is acidified and basified and dissolved CO2 is generated, flowing the process solution out of the apparatus, and desorbing CO2 out of the process solution. A method for desorbing CO2 from an ocean comprises flowing seawater and electrode solution into a BPMED apparatus, applying a voltage such that dissolved CO2 is generated, flowing the seawater out of the apparatus, and desorbing CO2 out of the seawater. A method for producing a desalted solution and CO2 gas comprises flowing process solution and electrode solution into a BPMED apparatus that includes one or more three-compartment cells, applying a voltage such that the process solution is acidified, basified, and desalted, flowing the process solution out of the apparatus, and desorbing CO2 out of the process solution.Claims: A method comprising: flowing a process solution into a BPMED apparatus; flowing an electrode solution into the BPMED apparatus; applying a voltage to the BPMED apparatus such that the process solution is acidified and basified, and dissolved CO2 is generated in the acidified process solution; flowing the acidified and basified process solution out of the BPMED apparatus; and desorbing the CO2 out of the acidified process solution.
The method ... wherein the acidified process solution is flowed out of the BPMED apparatus and through a CO2 desorption unit before being flowed to an acidified solution tank such that the desorbing occurs at the CO2 desorption unit.
The method ... further comprising flowing the acidified process solution back through the BPMED apparatus to descale the BPMED apparatus (and) further comprising recombining the acidified and basified process solution after desorbing the CO2 such that the process solution is approximately neutral pH (and) wherein the BPMED apparatus comprises one or more three-compartment BPMED cells such that when the voltage is applied, the process solution is also desalted.
The method ... wherein the process solution comprises any one of a seawater solution; a reverse osmosis brine; and a solution comprised of any one or more of a dissolved CO2 gas, HCO3 ions, and CO3 ions.
(Sounds like some CO2-scrubbing solutions can be used, as well, and we might not be restricted to "seawater"; although, a shore-based unit operating this process in, for example, Florida, and taking advantage of abundant solar power to help drive the process of CO2 recovery could be attractive.)
The method ... wherein a flow rate for flowing the process solution into the BPMED apparatus and a current applied by the voltage are selected such that an energy consumption of the BPMED apparatus is minimized.
(They specify the needed current densities; and, they all seem pretty low to us.)
A method for desorbing CO2 from an ocean comprising: flowing seawater from the ocean and into a BPMED apparatus; flowing an electrode solution into the BPMED apparatus; applying a voltage to the BPMED apparatus such that the seawater is acidified and basified, and dissolved CO2 is generated in the acidified seawater; flowing the acidified and basified seawater out of the BPMED apparatus; and desorbing the CO2 out of the acidified seawater (and) further comprising recombining the acidified and basified seawater after desorbing the CO2 such that the seawater is neutralized (and) further comprising returning the neutralized seawater to the ocean.
The method ... wherein the BPMED apparatus comprises one or more three-compartment BPMED cells such that when the voltage is applied, the seawater is also desalinated.
A method for producing a desalted solution and CO2 gas comprising: flowing a process solution into a BPMED apparatus, wherein the BPMED apparatus includes a membrane stack comprised of one or more three-compartment cells; flowing an electrode solution into the BPMED apparatus; applying a voltage to the BPMED apparatus such that the process solution is acidified, basified, and desalted; flowing the acidified, basified, and desalted process solution out of the BPMED apparatus; and desorbing the CO2 out of the acidified process solution (and) wherein the process solution is a seawater solution such that when the process solution is desalted, desalinated water is generated.
Description and Background: The world's oceans have been absorbing and releasing atmospheric CO2 for eons. Atmospheric CO2 dissolves in the oceans' water, reacting with the seawater to form carbonic acid. Carbonic acid in turn releases hydrogen ions (H+), forming bicarbonate (HCO3-) and carbonate CO3 ions. The pH of seawater, which determines the relative fractions of dissolved CO2, HCO3- and CO3, is typically around 8.3, meaning that most of the dissolved total carbon in seawater is in the form of HCO3-, ... .The volumetric concentration of CO2 in seawater is comparatively much higher than that in the atmosphere, with approximately 100 times as much CO2 in one liter of seawater as there is in one liter of air.
After CO2 capture and desorption/regeneration, the post-separation CO2 can be ... incorporated into useful products such as ... plastics ... .
Generation of liquid hydrocarbon fuel, such as gasoline, diesel, or JP-8, from CO2 separated from mixed-gas streams may be of particular importance."-----------------------
Well, gosh, concerning the immediately above, and it's "particular importance", d'ya think?
We documented how we could go about making some "gasoline, diesel, or JP-8, from CO2" in our introductory citation of "United States Patent 7,420,004 - Producing Synthetic Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuels"; and, as far as incorporating the separated Carbon Dioxide "into useful products such as ... plastics", we remind you, for one example, of our report:
West Virginia Coal Association | Bayer Is Converting Coal Power Plant CO2 Into Plastics | Research & Development; "Bayer Material Science CO2-to-Plastics Pilot Plant, Germany; In February 2011, Bayer MaterialScience started a new pilot plant (in the) North Rhine-Westphalia state of Germany for producing plastics from carbon dioxide (CO2). It will be used to develop polyurethanes from the waste gas released during power generation",
by way of assurance that such potentials for the productive utilization of CO2 are very real, so real that a whole flotilla of serious-as-a-hand grenade scientists in the employ of one branch or another of our United States Defense establishment are in the process of hammering out all the rivets and armor plate that are going to be needed to forge a complete Carbon Dioxide collection and conversion machine, one that will synthesize for us, out of CO2, needful things like "gasoline, diesel" or jet fuel.
This ship's outlines are getting pretty well defined by now.
About time we US taxpayers, we US taxpayers who are paying for these technologies to be developed, especially those of us resident in US Coal Country and being threatened with schemes and scams like Cap and Trade taxation and mandated Geologic Sequestration, finally got a pretty good peek at it, don't you think?
Are there any Coal Country journalists out there with enough gumption to go knock on the Navy's door and ask for a photo op?