Rate-based Modelling and Validation of a Pilot Absorber Using MDEA Enhanced with Carbonic Anhydrase (CA)

Abstract

The great paradox of the 21st century is that we must meet the increasing global demand for energy and products while simultaneously mitigating the climate change. If both these criteria are to be met, carbon capture and storage is an imperative technology for sustainable energy infrastructure development. Post-combustion capture is a mature capture technology, however, to make it economically attractive, design of innovative solvents and process optimization is of crucial importance. An example for promising solvent is MDEA enhanced with carbonic anhydrase (CA), due to its fast kinetics and low solvent-regeneration energy demand.The focus of this work is to develop a rate-based model for CO2 absorption using MDEA enhanced with CA and to validate it against pilot-scale absorption experiments. In this work, we compare model predictions to measured temperature and CO2 concentration profiles for different L/G ratios, lean CO2 loadings, gas CO2 content and packing height. We show that the developed model is suitable for CO2 capture simulation and optimization using MDEA and MDEA enhanced with CA. Furthermore, we investigate the accuracy of the General Method (GM) enhancement factor model for CO2 absorption/desorption using wetted-wall column data: 0 to 0.5 CO2 loading and temperatures between 298 and 328K. The present study represents a first step towards developing and optimizing a CA promoted MDEA CO2 capture process.