Pilot-Scale Experimental Study of a New High-Loading Absorbent for Capturing CO2 from Flue Gas

Abstract

Chemical absorbents with low-energy requirements have become the primary focus of the research on CO2 capture from flue gas in power plants. To verify the absorption performance of the NICE absorbent developed by the National Institute of Clean-and-Low-Carbon Energy in China, a performance optimization test was conducted in Zhejiang University’s pilot-scale platform, and the effects of the liquid–gas ratio, regeneration pressure, rich liquid fractional flow, and interstage cooling on the absorption performance and regeneration energy consumption were investigated. The results showed that in the CO2 pilot test, the optimized minimum regeneration energy consumption was 2.85 GJ/t CO2, and the corresponding process parameters were as follows: a liquid–gas ratio of 1.82 L/m3, regeneration pressure of 191 kPa, an interstage cooling temperature of 40 °C, and a rich liquid fractional flow ratio of 0.18. This study preliminarily verified the low-energy consumption performance of the NICE absorbent and showed its good potential for industrial applications. Additionally, the NICE absorbent showed promise for capital and operating cost savings because of its low liquid–gas ratio.