Patent ID: 8454731

Claim:
A method for contacting a gas and a liquid, the method comprising: (a) feeding, through a gas feed inlet, an impure gas to a lower section of a primary, absorption zone; (b) feeding, through a liquid feed inlet, a fresh absorbent to an upper section of a secondary absorption zone; wherein the impure gas and absorbent are contacted, in a counter-current manner, in both the primary and secondary absorption zones, and wherein the secondary absorption zone is disposed below the primary absorption zone and wherein the method further comprises; (c) flowing, through a primary absorption zone vapor outlet, a primary absorption zone vapor effluent from an upper section of the primary absorption zone; (d) passing, through a secondary absorption zone vapor inlet, the primary absorption zone vapor effluent to a lower section of the secondary absorption zone; (e) flowing, through a secondary absorption zone liquid outlet, a secondary absorption zone liquid effluent from the lower section of the secondary absorption zone; (f) passing, through a primary absorption zone liquid inlet, the secondary absorption zone liquid effluent to the upper section of the primary absorption zone; (g) removing a purified gas, through a gas product outlet, from the upper section of the secondary absorption zone; and (h) removing a spent absorbent, through a liquid product outlet, from the lower section of primary absorption zone.