Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01D—SEPARATION
  • B01D19/00—Degasification of liquids
  • B01D19/0036—Flash degasification
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/20—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by degassing, i.e. liberation of dissolved gases
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
  • C12M21/00—Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses
  • C12M21/04—Bioreactors or fermenters specially adapted for specific uses for producing gas, e.g. biogas
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
  • C12M—APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS
  • C12M23/00—Constructional details, e.g. recesses, hinges
  • C12M23/36—Means for collection or storage of gas; Gas holders
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E03—WATER SUPPLY; SEWERAGE
  • E03B—INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER
  • E03B9/00—Methods or installations for drawing-off water
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2103/00—Nature of the water, waste water, sewage or sludge to be treated
  • C02F2103/007—Contaminated open waterways, rivers, lakes or ponds
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E50/00—Technologies for the production of fuel of non-fossil origin
  • Y02E50/30—Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Definitions

• the most important feature of the present Patent for an Invention is its adaptability and practical execution, which does not introduce any operational change to the hydroelectric power plant, even enabling installation of the device with no interruption to electricity generating operations.
• the solubility of the two gases in water occurs in different forms. While an aqueous solution with CO2 tends naturally to rise and reach the surface, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere,, the aqueous solution of methane tends naturally to sink to deeper regions. In the deeper regions water pressure increases and temperature falls. The solubility of methane in water thus increases considerably.
• the anaerobic decomposition of roots and other organic matter in the soil by methanogenic bacteria occurs below soil level throughout the entire hydrographical basin whenever the soil is damp, and decomposition of methane occurs; it is absorbed in the subsoil water which sinks lower through the absorption of rainwater, and flows through the immense network of subterranean water tables to the rivers and reservoirs, carrying with it the dissolved methane.
• hydroelectric power plants are units that cannot be interrupted once they have been designed, built and set in motion, but can only receive preventive maintenance, and need to produce energy in accordance with the hourly demand of consumers, industry and society at large 365 days per year, in the daytime, at night or in the early hours.
• the hydroelectric power plants benefit from the advantages offered by the Kyoto Protocol upon installation of the present "GAS-COLLECTING HOOD AND WATER BAFFLERS FOR USE IN HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANTS FOR CAPTURING METHANE FROM DEEP WATERS", the subject of the present Patent for an Invention.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective image of a hydroelectric power plant in operation, with a cross section of the dam at the level of a system with one turbine, generator, discharge system, and in the subsequent figure the remaining turbines in parallel.
• the spillway of the same power plant draining excess water, which flows down from the high part of the dam to the river without generating electricity.
• Figure 2 shows a perspective of the same plant, with the gas-collecting hood , made out of reinforced, impermeable plastic tarpaulins, mounted over the entire turbine discharge area, downstream from the dam, built in such a way that all the methane released from the aqueous solution bubbles up to the surface as a result of depressurization, when going through the turbine, under the hood, that collects the gas and pipes it through a duct to a purifying and de-humidification unit.
• the gas-collection hood can be mounted on steel cables suitably fixed to enable assembly as in the figure.
• Figure 3 shows the dehumidifying and purifying unit for the gas collected by the hood before it is directed for consumption in a ventilation or compression system for the transportation of the gas.
• Figure 4 shows a system of (optional) bafflers installed upstream of the dam and turbine to capture water from either deeper or shallower levels in the penstock so as to either increase or reduce the production of methane in the plant, according to demand.
• Figure 5 shows an (optional) baffler system installed downstream at the turbine discharge area to create an upwards flow of water discharged by the turbine, to improve release of methane bubbling to the surface, enhancing methane capture efficiency.
• FIG 1 we have a concrete dam (1) maintaining a head of water (4), that flows through the trash rack (2) through the penstock (3) to the turbine (5) coupled to the generator (6).
• the water that is thus collected under pressure drives the turbine (5), which converts the potential energy of the water (4) into rotational mechanical energy, which in turn drives the generator (6), converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
• the water, after transferring its potential energy to the turbine, (5) undergoes depressurization, and is discharged downstream of the dam by the duct (7), through the water flow (8), which when depressurized releases methane in the form of bubbles.
• the released methane is absorbed by the atmosphere and contributes significantly to the greenhouse effect.
• the power plant has several sets of generators installed in parallel as per figure 1.
• the machine room (12) houses the set of turbines and generators.
• the spillway (9) discharges excess water not being used for electricity generation through the water discharge flow (10).
• FIG 2 we show a perspective of the same hydroelectric power plant, with the gas-collecting hood (13) assembled on the steel cables(16).
• the gas- collecting hood (13) covers the entire surface of the water of the hydroelectric power plant encompassing the turbine discharge (5), through the discharge ducts (7), releasing downstream from the dam (1) the flow of depressurized water (8) that is releasing the dissolved methane owing to the sudden depressurization of the water. All the methane is released inside the gas- collecting hood (13) and is transferred along the pipe (14) to a de-humidification and purification system that is demonstrated...
• figure 3 we show the methane removed from the gas-collecting hood (13) reaching the dehumidifying and purifying unit, and being distributed evenly by the bafflers (25), going through the cooling unit (19) to condense the water vapor that it contains.
• the methane then passes through the filter membrane (20) which contains a process to remove the CO2 that it contains, purifying it.
• the purifying unit is optional and built using technology available on the market today.
• the methane is piped along the duct (21) to the compressing unit (22) which imparts either high or low pressure according to the destination and use of the gas that is going to consumption via the pipe (23).
• Figure 4 describes an optional baffler (17) that can be installed upstream from the dam, to modify the level of the collection of water from the turbine in order to produce more or less methane, since the quantity of methane in the water varies with the depth of the water that is removed.
• baffler After the baffler is installed we can vary the production of methane to meet a greater or lesser demand for the gas, depending for example on the time of day.
• FIG. 5 describes a system of optional bafflers that can be installed downstream from the dam.
• the function of these bafflers is to optimize methane capture from the water (4), facilitating the flow of the discharge water (8) out of the discharge ducts (7), up to the surface and release the methane more efficiently, as it is released by sudden depressurization by the turbine (5), to collect it by means of the gas-collecting hood (13), fixed by the steel cable (16), and piped for treatment along the duct (14).
• the application exemplified above is only one of the construction options possible so as to achieve the objective of the gas-collecting hood (13).
• Other construction options are possible, for instance replacing the steel cables by metallic structures. These construction options will depend on the space available, and the design of the plant, among other factors.
• One construction option to support the hood may even make it a movable construction to facilitate maintenance or periodic cleaning, or adjust the water level downstream.
• the installation of the hood (13) and the best way of installing it should be customized for each hydroelectric power plant.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
• Zoology (AREA)
• Genetics & Genomics (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Microbiology (AREA)
• Biotechnology (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Oil, Petroleum & Natural Gas (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Clinical Laboratory Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Gas Separation By Absorption (AREA)
• Industrial Gases (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

• 2007
  • 2007-01-16 BR BRPI0701091-5A patent/BRPI0701091A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2007-05-09 WO PCT/BR2007/000112 patent/WO2008086585A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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