SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SOLVENT RECOVERY IN A BATCH FLUIDIZED BED PROCESS

• Main Authors: BILLINGHAM JOHN FREDRIC, CHENG ALAN, NANDI ARUP
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.02.2012
• Subjects: BLASTING; DETAILS OF FLUID-PRESSURE SYSTEMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; DRYING; DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS; FLUID-PRESSURE ACTUATORS, e.g. SERVO-MOTORS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; HYDRAULICS OR PNEUMATICS IN GENERAL; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES; SEPARATION; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; SYSTEMS ACTING BY MEANS OF FLUIDS IN GENERAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

A system and method for solvent recovery in a batch fluidized bed process is provided. The disclosed embodiment of the fluidized bed system includes a fluidized bed vessel adapted to contain a batch of solvent-containing product; an influent or intake circuit adapted to supply an inert fluidizing gas to the fluidized bed vessel; an effluent circuit adapted to remove the solvent containing inert fluidizing gas from the fluidized bed vessel; a first recycle circuit coupling the effluent circuit to a solvent recovery means; a second recycle circuit directly coupling the effluent circuit to the intake circuit and a flow control valve operatively disposed to divide the effluent between the first recycle circuit and the second recycle circuit based on the operating regime of the fluidized bed process. The disclosed embodiments further include a source of liquid nitrogen coupled to the second recycle circuit to provide the make-up inert gas as well as provide enhanced cooling of the effluent based on the operating regime of the fluidized bed process.