University of Oklahoma

Miguel Bagajewicz

Shuncheng Ji

Quang Nguyen

Conner Cruson

Tu Oanh Tran

A method of treating natural gas to remove contaminants is described. An input natural gas is mixed with water causing formation of COhydrates and CHhydrates. A natural gas having a reduced COconcentration, and a water-hydrate mixture comprising the COhydrates and CHhydrates, is output. The water-hydrate mixture is exposed to COgas forming a CO&#x2014;CHgas mixture and a residual hydrate mixture. The CO&#x2014;CHgas mixture is recycled to remove CH. The residual hydrate mixture is treated to produce HO which can be recycled for use in forming the water-hydrate mixture, and gaseous COfor use in use in stripping CHfrom the CHhydrates of the water-hydrate mixture.

Treatment of natural gas to remove contaminants

An acoustic/pressure wave-driven device for separating a first component from a mixture of the first component and a second fluid component. The device comprises a rich reservoir, a lean reservoir, a pump reservoir, a bridge structure, and an acoustic/pressure wave source. The rich reservoir is for containing a fluid mixture having an elevated concentration of the first component. The lean reservoir is for containing a fluid mixture having a lesser concentration of the first component that is leaner than the concentration of the first component in fluid mixture of the rich reservoir. The pump reservoir contains a fluid mixture of the first component and the second fluid component. The bridge structure has a sidewall defining a gradient channel in fluid communication with the rich reservoir and the lean reservoir and a length extending there between. The gradient channel is for containing a fluid having a concentration gradient of the first component along its length. A diffusion portion of the sidewall disposed between the gradient channel and the pump reservoir is adapted to permit diffusion of at least the first component between the gradient channel and the pump reservoir while preventing fluid flow there between. The acoustic/pressure wave source provides acoustic waves into the pump reservoir to cause pressure oscillations in the fluid mixture therein adjacent to the diffusion portion to move molecules of the target component against the concentration gradient from the lean reservoir into the rich reservoir.

Acoustic/pressure wave-driven separation device

Methods of separating components of a mixture, such as crude oil, are disclosed which increase the yield of individual components while decreasing the yield of residue. In one method, a heated mixture is fed to a column, a vapor stream is withdrawn from the column and separated, and a portion of the vapor stream is recycled back to the column. In another method, a mixture is separated into streams composed substantially of components having light, intermediate or heavy molecular weight and/or low, intermediate or high boiling point, respectively, and the streams are fed into the column at different positions. In both methods, individual light, intermediate and/or heavy molecular weight and/or low, intermediate and/or high boiling point component streams are then selectively withdrawn from the column.

Growing community of inventors

Norman, OK, United States of America

Miguel Bagajewicz