Compositions and Methods for Delivery of Carbon Dioxide

{
  "publication_number": "US2015197447A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Compositions and Methods for Delivery of Carbon Dioxide",
  "abstract": "Compositions and methods are provided for a system in which liquid carbon dioxide, or a mixture of liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide, is converted to solid carbon dioxide by exiting an orifice at a sufficient pressure drop, e.g., for delivery of carbon dioxide to a concrete mixture in a mixer.",
  "claims": [
    "1. when the carbon dioxide in the delivery line as it is delivered to the orifice is 100% gas or 100% liquid, the flow rate is calculated from D p, D o, and P u, and T for the first time; and",
    "2. when the carbon dioxide in the delivery line as it is delivered to the orifice is a mixture of gas and liquid, the flow rate is calculated from D o, P u, T, and T D at the first time. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mixer for mixing concrete or a container containing a material used in concrete, wherein the apparatus is configured to deliver carbon dioxide to the mixer or the container. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising a mixer for mixing concrete. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the mixer is a transportable mixer. 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the transportable mixer comprises the drum of a ready-mix truck. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a conduit operably connected to the distal end of the orifice and configured to direct the carbon dioxide to a destination. 8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the conduit is attached to the ready-mix truck. 9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the conduit is not attached to a ready-mix truck. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow rate calculation system is configured to calculate the flow rate of carbon dioxide at a plurality of times or time intervals, each of which has its own P u, T, and T D, which may be the same or different than the P u, T, and/or T D of the other times. 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the flow calculation system is configured to calculate a total amount of carbon dioxide that has flowed through the orifice based on the instantaneous flow rates for the plurality of times or time intervals. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the flow rate calculation system outputs the total amount of carbon dioxide to a system controller. 13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the system controller compares the total amount of carbon dioxide to a predetermined end amount of carbon dioxide, and when the total amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined end amount, sends a signal to one or more actuators configured to modulate the flow of carbon dioxide through the orifice to cause the one or more actuators to modulate the flow of carbon dioxide. 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the modulation is a cessation of the flow of carbon dioxide. 15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the source of gaseous carbon dioxide and the source of liquid carbon dioxide are the same. 16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the source of gaseous carbon dioxide and the source of liquid carbon dioxide are different. 17. A method for determining a flow rate of carbon dioxide in a system where a mixture of liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide is delivered via a conduit to an orifice, wherein the orifice has a cross-sectional area, and exits the orifice as a mixture of gaseous and solid carbon dioxide, comprising: (i) determining a first temperature, T D, of the carbon dioxide exiting the orifice; (ii) determining a pressure, P u of the carbon dioxide in the conduit proximal to the orifice; (iii) determining a second temperature, T, of the carbon dioxide in the conduit proximal to the orifice; (iv) at a first time, determining the proportions of liquid carbon dioxide in the total carbon dioxide delivered to the orifice from T D at the first time; (v) determining the flow rate for the carbon dioxide delivered to the orifice at the first time from P u, T, and T D at the first time, and the diameter, D o, of the orifice, the proportion of liquid carbon dioxide delivered to the orifice, wherein the determining is performed in less than 100 MS. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the determining is performed in less than 20 ms. 19. The method of claim 17 wherein the determining is performed in less than 5 ms. 20. The method of claim 17 further comprising performing steps (i) through (v) at at least 100 times subsequent to the first time. 21. The method of claim 17 further comprising performing steps (i) through (v) at least 1000 times subsequent to the first time. 22. The method of claim 17 wherein a plurality of flow rates are determined at a plurality of times, and the total amount of carbon dioxide delivered is determined from the plurality of flow rates and the times. 23. A method of carbonating a flowable concrete mix comprising: (i) delivering carbon dioxide to the concrete mix; wherein the carbon dioxide is delivered as a mixture of gaseous and solid carbon dioxide for at least part of the delivery time wherein the carbon dioxide is delivered by a method comprising: a. the carbon dioxide is delivered via a delivery line with diameter D p to an orifice with diameter D o, and through the orifice, optionally also through a conduit attached to the orifice, to the concrete mix, b. carbon dioxide is supplied to the delivery line by flowing pressurized gaseous carbon dioxide to the delivery line via a carbon dioxide gas line and/or flowing pressurized liquid carbon dioxide to the delivery line via a carbon dioxide liquid line, so that at least part of the carbon dioxide reaching the orifice during delivery of the carbon dioxide to the concrete mix is liquid carbon dioxide, c. the carbon dioxide exits the orifice as a gas, a solid, or a mixture thereof, (ii) determining a total amount of carbon dioxide delivered to the concrete mix by a method comprising: a. determining a pressure of the carbon dioxide, P u, in the delivery line proximal to the orifice at a plurality of times, b. determining a first temperature of the carbon dioxide, T, in the delivery line proximal to the orifice at the plurality of times, c. determining a second temperature of the carbon dioxide, T D, as it exits the orifice at the plurality of times; wherein, for each time of the plurality of times, all of P u, T, and T D are measured at the same time, d. determining from T D for each time whether the carbon dioxide in the delivery line when it reaches the orifice is 100% gas or 100% liquid, or a mix of gas and liquid, e. calculating an instantaneous flow rate for each time, wherein when the carbon dioxide in the delivery line as it is delivered to the orifice for a time is 100% gas or 100% liquid, the flow rate is calculated from D p, D o, P u and T for that time, and when the carbon dioxide in the delivery line as it is delivered to the orifice for a time is a mixture of gas and liquid, the flow rate is calculated from D o, P u, T, and T D for that time, f. integrating the flow rates for the plurality of times to obtain a total amount of carbon dioxide delivered; and (iii) modulating the delivery of the carbon dioxide to the concrete mix based at least in part on the total amount of carbon dioxide delivered determined in ii) f). 24. The method of claim 23 wherein the modulation of delivery of the carbon dioxide comprising halting the delivery of carbon dioxide when the total amount of carbon dioxide delivered is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount of carbon dioxide. 25. The method of claim 24 wherein the total amount of carbon dioxide delivered is such that the dose of carbon dioxide to the concrete mix is 0.05-0.5% by weight cement (bwc). 26. A system for delivering carbon dioxide to a drum of a ready-mix truck comprising (ii) a rigid or semi-rigid conduit comprising a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the conduit is configured to be operably connected to a source of carbon dioxide at its proximal end for delivery of the carbon dioxide from its distal end to a drum of a ready-mix truck; (ii) a guide affixed to the ready-mix truck, wherein the guide is configured to reversibly attach the conduit to the ready-mix truck and to position the distal end of the conduit at a desired position in the drum of the ready-mix truck in order to deliver carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide source to concrete mixing within the drum. 27. The system of claim 26 wherein the guide is configured to position the distal end of the conduit to within 40 cm of the surface of the mixing concrete, on average, when the drum of the ready-mix truck contains a full load of concrete. 28. The system of claim 26 further comprising the source of carbon dioxide. 29. The system of claim 28 wherein the source of carbon dioxide is a source of liquid carbon dioxide, and wherein the system further comprises an orifice operably connected to the proximal end of the rigid or semi-rigid conduit, wherein the orifice is operably connected to the source of carbon dioxide and is configured to convert the liquid carbon dioxide from the source of carbon dioxide to solid and gaseous carbon dioxide for delivery through the conduit to the concrete. 30. The system of claim 29 wherein the orifice is operably connected to the proximal end of the rigid or semi-rigid conduit by a flexible conduit, wherein the orifice is positioned at a proximal end of the flexible conduit and the proximal end of the rigid or semi-rigid conduit is attached to a distal end of the flexible conduit."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Cement mixes, such as concrete mixes, are used in a multitude of compositions and procedures throughout the world. In addition, greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide are a growing concern worldwide. There is a need for methods and compositions to contact cement mixes with carbon dioxide and for cement mixes containing incorporated carbon dioxide and carbonation products.\n\nIn certain situations in which a mixture of solid and gaseous carbon dioxide is delivered by forcing pressurized liquid carbon dioxide, or a mixture of gaseous and liquid carbon dioxide, through an orifice to a lower pressure environment, it is desirable to determine the flow rate of the carbon dioxide and/or total amount of carbon dioxide delivered without the use of, e.g., changes in weight of carbon dioxide source container or containers, which can be inaccurate at small doses, or, e.g., a mass flow controller or other direct measurement of flow. In addition, it is often desirable to deliver such a mixture of solid and gaseous carbon dioxide to a mix, such as a cement mix, using apparatus and methods to optimize the uptake of the carbon dioxide into the mix, especially at low doses of carbon dioxide.\n\nIn one aspect, the invention provides apparatus.",
  "cpc": [
    "C04B 40/0231",
    "B01F 13/0037",
    "B01F 15/00136",
    "B01F 15/00162",
    "B01F 15/00175",
    "B01F 2101/28",
    "B01F 2215/0047",
    "B01F 3/04099",
    "B01F 3/04439",
    "B01F 35/2111",
    "B01F 35/21111",
    "B01F 35/2113",
    "B01F 35/2115",
    "B01F 9/00",
    "B28C 5/00",
    "B28C 5/422",
    "B28C 5/4237",
    "B28C 5/46",
    "B28C 7/12",
    "C04B 22/06",
    "C04B 40/0032",
    "G01F 1/00",
    "G01F 1/86",
    "Y02P 40/18"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B01F 13/00",
    "B01F 3/04",
    "B01F 9/00",
    "B28C 5/00",
    "B01F 15/00",
    "C04B 22/06",
    "G01F 1/00",
    "B28C 5/46",
    "B28C 7/12",
    "C04B 40/00",
    "C04B 40/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Carboncure Technologies Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Dean Paul Forgeron",
    "Joshua Jeremy Brown",
    "George Sean Monkman",
    "Paul J. Sandberg"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2015-03-09",
  "publication_date": "2015-07-16",
  "priority_date": "2013-06-25",
  "application_number": "US-201514642536-A",
  "family_id": "53520751",
  "cited_by_count": 40,
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}