Supercritical fluid cleaning systems and methods

Abstract

A process for cleaning a material with a cleaning system having system apparatus and at least one electronic device associated with the system apparatus, the at least one electronic device having a specified temperature operation range, the system having contacting apparatus, the process including contacting a material with an extracting fluid under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the extracting fluid at, near or above its critical point to produce a clean material, flowing the extracting fluid from the contacting apparatus to pressure reducing apparatus to lower pressure of the extracting fluid, lowering the pressure of the extracting fluid with the pressure reducing apparatus, thereby cooling the extracting fluid producing cooled extracting fluid, and flowing the cooled extracting fluid in heat exchange relation with the at least one electronic device to maintain temperature of the at least one electronic device within the specified temperature operation range; and a system for effecting such temperature maintenance.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for cleaning a material with a cleaning system having system apparatus and at least one electronic device associated with the system apparatus, the at least one electronic device having a specified temperature operation range, the system having contacting apparatus, the process comprising 
 contacting a material with an extracting fluid under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the extracting fluid at, near or above its critical point to produce a clean material,    flowing the extracting fluid from the contacting apparatus to pressure reducing apparatus to lower pressure of the extracting fluid,    lowering the pressure of the extracting fluid with the pressure reducing apparatus, thereby cooling the extracting fluid producing cooled extracting fluid, and    flowing the cooled extracting fluid in heat exchange relation with the at least one electronic device to maintain temperature of the at least one electronic device within the specified temperature operation range.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the extracting fluid is selected from the group consisting of Xe, HN 3 , lower aromatics, nitrous oxide, water, CO, CO 2 , H 2 O, lower alcohols, lower alkanes, lower alkenes and mixtures or combinations thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the extracting fluid is CO 2 .  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the material is a drill fluid and the clean material comprises a hydrocarbon product substantially free of contaminants, a solids product substantially free of hydrocarbons and other contaminants, and an aqueous product.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the material is a used oil and the clean material comprises a cleaned oil substantially free of water and water soluble contaminants.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the material is a hydrocarbon fuel and the clean material comprises a cleaned fuel having a lower sulfur content than the hydrocarbon fuel prior to cleaning.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the material is a hydrocarbon contaminated soil and the clean material comprises a hydrocarbon product substantially free of solids, water and water soluble contaminants, a cleaned soil substantially free of hydrocarbon and other contaminants, and an aqueous product substantially free of hydrocarbon.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising 
 contacting a drill fluid with an extracting fluid under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the extracting fluid at, near or above its critical point to produce a hydrocarbon product substantially free of contaminants, a solids product substantially free of hydrocarbons and other contaminants, and an aqueous product.  
 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 10  wherein the extracting fluid is CO 2 .  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein the at least one electronic device is in an enclosure.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10  wherein the pressure reducing apparatus is within the enclosure.  
     
     
         12 . A cleaned drilling fluid solid comprising a solid material obtained from a process of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         13 . A hydrocarbon composition comprising a hydrocarbon material and drilling additives obtained from a process of  claim 8 .  
     
     
         14 . A system for cleaning a material, the system comprising 
 system apparatus with at least one electronic device associated with the system apparatus,    the at least one electronic device having a specified temperature operation range,    the system apparatus including contacting apparatus for contacting the material with an extracting fluid to clean the material under conditions of temperature and pressure sufficient to maintain the extracting fluid at, near, or above its critical point,    pressure reducing apparatus for receiving extracting fluid from the contacting apparatus and for lowering pressure of the extracting fluid thereby producing cooled extracting fluid,    heat exchange apparatus for receiving the cooled extracting fluid, the heat exchange apparatus in heat exchange relation with the at least one electronic device for maintaining temperature of the at least one electronic device within the specified temperature operation range.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the pressure reducing apparatus is a pressure reducing valve.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the pressure reducing apparatus is a pressure reducing orifice device.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising 
 an enclosure, the at least one electronic device within the enclosure.  
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17  further comprising 
 the pressure reducing apparatus within the enclosure.  
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the heat exchange apparatus if from the group consisting of heat sink and tube heat exchangers.  
     
     
         20 . Any invention disclosed herein of the inventor named herein.