CO2 Capture Process Research Articles

Improving the activity of CO2 capturing from flue gas by membrane gas – solvent absorption process

This work is focused on increasing the capturing efficiency of carbon dioxide (CO2) through flue gas purification systems. To maximize the CO2 capture process, many process variables such as temperature, flow rates, absorbent concentrations, and nanoparticles were investigated. This study describes the use of a polypropylene hollow fiber membrane contactor to separate CO2 from nitrogen using different solvents, including Potassium carbonate (K2CO3), N-methyl diethanolamine (MDEA), and monoethanolamine (MEA). Also, the presence of silica nanoparticles and piperazine (PZ) enhances the process performance. On the other hand, the amine and mixed amino absorbents MDEA-PZ and MDEA-MEA were prepared and compared based on the absorption capacity. The optimal order of amine absorbent performance when applied to CO2 membrane absorption is MDEA-MEA followed by MDEA-PZ. At a solute concentration of 9%, MDEA-MEA exhibits the highest CO2 removal efficiency, which is 74.12%. However, at a concentration of 11%, MEA, MDEA-PZ, and MDEA have the highest CO2 removal efficiencies of 80.15%, 75.13%, and 63.12%, respectively.

Ionic Lignin Polymers for Controlled CO2 Capture, Release, and Conversion into High-Value Chemicals.

In this study, an innovative and cost-effective ionic polymer for CO2 capture and utilization for the first time, using abundant and nonfood-based biomass lignin is reported. The modified ionic polymer synthesizes through the reaction of glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride with lignin under alkaline conditions to yield quaternary ammonium ionic functionality. Subsequently, the hydroxide-based pure ionic lignin polymer is employed for CO2 capture from both direct air and concentrated CO2 sources at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Structural characterization of the polymers is accomplished through 1H, 13C, and 2D-heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC)NMR, and FT-IR spectroscopy. The CO2 capture process is established through the formation of bicarbonate ions alongside the presence of CO2. The captured CO2 is precisely quantified by using inverse-gated proton decoupled 13C NMR with an internal standard (trioxane). Remarkably, the captured-CO2 amounts of ionic lignin polymer are 1.06mmol g-1 (47mg g-1) from concentrated-CO2 source and 0.60mmol g-1 (26mg g-1) from direct-air. The captured-CO2 in ionic lignin polymer is released in controlled manner and utilized in the synthesis of cyclic carbonate, showcasing the productive application of the captured carbon. Moreover, the fully controlled recovering of ionic lignin polymer achieves via repeated CO2 release ↔ CO2 capture.

Valorization of argan paste cake waste: Enhanced CO2 adsorption on chemically activated carbon

This study addresses the critical need to reduce energy penalties in CO2 capture processes by exploring the potential of activated carbons derived from argan paste cake for post-combustion CO2 capture applications. Leveraging their cost-effectiveness, stability in humid conditions, and microporous structure, a series of activated carbons with diverse textural characteristics were synthesized through a two-step chemical activation process employing a KOH: biochar ratio of 1:1. Activation temperatures ranged from 700 to 850 °C. Characterization techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to analyze the structural and chemical properties of the synthesized activated carbons. Remarkably, all synthesized samples exhibited excellent CO2 adsorption properties. Notably, the activated carbon sample prepared at 700 °C (APC-500–700) demonstrated the highest CO2 adsorption capacity, reaching up to 4.89 mmol/g at 0 °C and 2.98 mmol/g at 25 °C. Additional samples, including APC-500–800 and APC-500–850, exhibited CO2 adsorption capacities of 4.89 mmol/g and 4.83 mmol/g, respectively, at 0 °C, with corresponding values of 2.74 mmol/g and 2.60 mmol/g observed at 25 °C. Selectivity and stability tests were conducted to evaluate the adsorption performance under varied conditions, further highlighting the potential of activated carbon derived from argan paste cake in contributing to efficient CO2 capture processes. These findings underscore the significance of synthesis conditions in tailoring adsorption performance and pave the way for the sustainable utilization of waste biomass for environmental applications.

A sustainable and economical solution for CO2 capture with biobased carbon materials derived from palm kernel shells.

This study investigates the synthesize of activated carbon for carbon dioxide adsorption using palm kernel shell (PKS), a by-product of oil palm industry. The adsorbent synthesis involved a simple two-step carbonization method. Firstly, PKS was activated with potassium oxide (KOH), followed by functionalization with magnesium oxide (MgO). Surface analysis revealed that KOH activated PKS has resulted in a high specific surface area of 1086 m2/g compared to untreated PKS (435 m2/g). However, impregnation of MgO resulted in the reduction of surface area due to blockage of pores by MgO. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated that PKS-based adsorbents exhibited minimal weight loss of less than 30% up to 500 °C, indicating their suitability for high-temperature applications. CO2 adsorption experiments revealed that PKS-AC-MgO has achieved a higher adsorption capacity of 155.35 mg/g compared to PKS-AC (149.63 mg/g) at 25 °C and 5 bars. The adsorption behaviour of PKS-AC-MgO was well fitted by both the Sips and Langmuir isotherms, suggesting a combination of both heterogeneous and homogeneous adsorption and indicating a chemical reaction between MgO and CO2. Thermodynamic analysis indicated a spontaneous and thermodynamically favourable process for CO2 capture by PKS-AC-MgO, with negative change in enthalpy (- 0.21 kJ/mol), positive change in entropy (2.44 kJ/mol), and negative change in Gibbs free energy (- 729.61 J/mol, - 790.79 J/mol, and - 851.98 J/mol) across tested temperature. Economic assessment revealed that the cost of PKS-AC-MgO is 21% lower than the current market price of commercial activated carbon, indicating its potential for industrial application. Environmental assessment shows a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (381.9 tCO2) through the utilization of PKS-AC-MgO, underscoring its environmental benefits. In summary, the use of activated carbon produced from PKS and functionalised with MgO shows great potential for absorbing CO2. This aligns with the ideas of a circular economy and sustainable development.

A techno-economic assessment of conventional and modified Solvay processes for CO2 capture and reject brine desalination

The ongoing discharge of desalination reject brine and emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the environment pose a major threat to the ecosystem. In this context, the Solvay process presents a potential mitigation scheme for reducing reject brine salinity while simultaneously sequestering CO2. This work reports for the first time a systematic techno-economic assessment of the conventional (ammonia-based) and modified (calcium hydroxide-based and Potassium hydroxide-based) Solvay processes. The model evaluates the effect of reactor conversion, inlet CO2 weight%, inlet CO2 temperature, gas/liquid ratio, and brine flow rate on the CO2 and Sodium ions removal. In addition, the process cost associated with each parameter was analyzed, and the impact of implementing carbon tax on process profitability was investigated. Furthermore, the Solvay processes were evaluated using economic metrics including Net Present Value (NPV), economy of scale, and Levelized cost of water. The results suggest that the calcium hydroxide-based modified Solvay process outperforms other processes in terms of CO2 and Sodium ions removal. Moreover, for the studied parameters, the calcium hydroxide-based modified Solvay process demonstrated economic viability, yielding a decent annual profit. However, the conventional Solvay process requires a remarkable amount of expenses, yet after the implementation of 40 dollars per metric tons of CO2 as a carbon tax, the conventional Solvay reaches the break-even point. These findings underscore the importance of implementing environmentally friendly practices in the industry, as the modified Solvay process proves to be a promising solution for mitigating environmental threats and promoting sustainable operations.

Operability-economics trade-offs in adsorption-based CO2 capture processes

Dispatchable low-carbon power underpins the transition to a sustainable energy system, providing balancing load for the integration of intermittent renewable power. In such load-following operation, the post-combustion carbon capture process must be capable of highly transient operation. Here we have developed a computational framework that integrates process design, operability and techno-economic assessment of a pressure-vacuum swing adsorption process for CO2 capture. We demonstrate that the cost-optimal design has limited process flexibility, challenging reactiveness to disturbances in the flue gas conditions. Flexibility can be introduced by relaxing the CO2 recovery constraint on the operation, albeit at the expense of the capture efficiency of the process. We discover that adsorption-based processes can be designed to enhance flexibility, while improving performance with respect to the operational constraints on CO2 recovery and purity. The results herein demonstrate a trade-off between process economics and process operability, which must be rationalised to integrate CO2 capture units in low-carbon energy systems.

Revealing the mechanism of hydration on the CO2 kinetic adsorption of CaO surface via ReaxFF MD simulations with experiments

Hydration has been regarded as an effective method to improve the cyclic activity of CaO during the Calcium looping CO2 capture process, but its mechanism remains unclear. In this work, the hydration reaction of CaO surface and its underlying mechanism was studied by ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation combing with TGA experiments. The effect of hydration on the initial CO2 adsorption rate showed a trend of promoting at low H2O degree and inhibiting at high H2O concentration. The CaO surface was easily passivated, and it can maintain its crystal structure and begin to distort at about 1.0 H2O monolayer contents. Hydration failed to promote the CO2 adsorption rate, inversely the CO2 adsorption process accelerated the diffusion of H ions inward the CaO lattice·H2O dissociation produced two hydroxyl groups: direct OwH and indirect OsH. Atomic density profiles showed that the direct hydroxyl pairs were always, and indirect OsH groups can consume surface oxygen active sites, reducing the initial rapid CO2 adsorption activity. On the pre-hydrated CaO surface, CO2 molecules were more likely to bind to solid oxygen active sites than OH groups. The H free radical diffused inside the lattice in the form of transition HO2 state, promoting the slow CO2 adsorption amount.

THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CCS MARKET: EXPERIENCE OF COUNTRIES WITH A DEVELOPED OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

The article examines the role of government support in the development of the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Technology market in countries with a developed oil and gas industry. It is shown that the implementation of CCS in the oil and gas sector has significant economic and environmental importance, as it allows not only to reduce the large-scale greenhouse gas emissions of this industry but also to increase the oil recovery factor through the injection of captured CO2 into depleted reservoirs. An analysis of the cost chain of various stages of the CO2 capture, transportation, and storage process is carried out, and the most costly elements are identified. The economic aspects of using Carbon Capture, Use, and Storage (CCUS) Technology for enhanced oil recovery are considered, and the need for government subsidies to ensure the commercial attractiveness of such projects under low CO2 emission prices is justified. The global experience of using economic instruments (carbon taxation, tax incentives, grants) to stimulate CCS projects in various industrial sectors is investigated. Significant differences in the approaches of leading countries compared to Russia are revealed. Pilot initiatives of the largest Russian oil and gas companies for the implementation of CCS technologies are analyzed. Recommendations are formulated for the creation of favorable regulatory conditions and effective mechanisms of government stimulation for the widespread adoption of CCS in Russia, taking into account its specifics as a major hydrocarbon producer.

Effects of different alkyl chain lengths on excess properties of CO2-1-Butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinebis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, CO2-1-hexyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, CO2-1-octyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide systems

The study investigates the solubility of carbon dioxide (CO2) in three ionic liquids [BMP][Tf2N] (1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide), [HMP][Tf2N] (1-hexyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) and [OMP][Tf2N] (1-octyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide). The research is conducted over a temperature range of 303.15 to 363.15 K. The phase equilibria of the binary systems are predicted using the Peng-Robinson (PR) equation of state, the Wilson (WS) mixing rule and the UNIFAC activity coefficient model. The interaction parameter kij is regressed from the vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) experimental data. The study also calculates the excess Gibbs free energy (GE), excess enthalpy (HE), and excess entropy (SE) for these systems. The research results indicate that the length of the alkyl chain in the cation has a significant effect on the excess properties of the CO2-ionic liquid systems. As the alkyl chain length increases, the excess Gibbs free energy and excess enthalpy decrease, while the excess entropy increases. The CO2-[OMP][Tf2N] system exhibits stronger interactions between CO2 and the ionic liquid, indicating a higher capacity for CO2 absorption. The study results are helpful for optimization of CO2 capture processes and the broader comprehension of fluid phase equilibria in complex systems.

Coke oven gases processing by vacuum swing adsorption: Carbon capture and methane recovery

Coke oven gas (COG), a by-product gas from the steel industry with great potential for chemical utilization, contains multiple high-value gases including H2, CO2, and CH4. Our previous work has successfully achieved hydrogen production from COG with a purity greater than 99.99 %. For further separation of COG-to-hydrogen tail gas, a two-phase vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) strategy for CO2 capture and CH4 upgrading was carried out in this study. The accuracy of the 4-bed 8-step and 4-bed 7-step cycles established in the in-house mathematical model was verified through a series of multi-component breakthrough and VSA experiments for the two-stage CO2 capture and CH4 upgrading processes employing zeolite NaY and activated carbon RB3, respectively. To achieve more excellent separation performance, several novel VSA cycles were designed and developed in terms of each stage, and the Pareto fronts of purity and recovery of CO2 or CH4 for each cycle were obtained through a multi-objective optimization framework. Based on this, the separation performance and energy consumption of the optimal cycle for each stage were parametrically analyzed under various feed gas concentrations, vacuum pressures, and feed velocities. Moreover, the CO2 product with a purity of 95.58 % and a recovery of 90.11 % can be obtained ultimately by using a 4-bed 8-step cycle for the first stage and a 4-bed 7-step cycle for the second stage of the CO2 capture process under 0.1 bar vacuum pressure. The CH4 upgrading process using a 4-bed 7-step cycle at 0.1 bar vacuum pressure produced a product with 92.07 % purity and 98.81 % recovery. The specific energy consumption was 32.17 kJ/mol and 1.80 kJ/mol for CO2 capture and CH4 upgrading, respectively. Recovery of high-purity CO2 and CH4 at such medium vacuum pressure and low energy consumption through a two-phase VSA strategy from COG has great application potential.

Prediction of CO2 solubility in Ionic liquids for CO2 capture using deep learning models

Ionic liquids (ILs) are highly effective for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2). The prediction of CO2 solubility in ILs is crucial for optimizing CO2 capture processes. This study investigates the use of deep learning models for CO2 solubility prediction in ILs with a comprehensive dataset of 10,116 CO2 solubility data in 164 kinds of ILs under different temperature and pressure conditions. Deep neural network models, including Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), were developed to predict CO2 solubility in ILs. The ANN and LSTM models demonstrated robust test accuracy in predicting CO2 solubility, with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.986 and 0.985, respectively. Both model's computational efficiency and cost were investigated, and the ANN model achieved reliable accuracy with a significantly lower computational time (approximately 30 times faster) than the LSTM model. A global sensitivity analysis (GSA) was performed to assess the influence of process parameters and associated functional groups on CO2 solubility. The sensitivity analysis results provided insights into the relative importance of input attributes on output variables (CO2 solubility) in ILs. The findings highlight the significant potential of deep learning models for streamlining the screening process of ILs for CO2 capture applications.

Effective direct steam regeneration of bis-iminoguanidine solid sorbent used for carbon dioxide capture

A cost-effective, energy-efficient sorbent regeneration process for phase-changing guanidines used for CO2 capture was developed based on direct-steam stripping. This approach enhances the regeneration rate, simplifies the overall CO2 capture process, and reduces the energy cost compared to conventional conductive thermal regeneration. A direct-steam sorbent regeneration reactor was developed, demonstrating that aqueous bis(iminoguanidines) (BIG) sorbents, e.g., methylglyoxal-bis(iminoguanidine) (MGBIG) and glyoxal-bis(iminoguanidine) (GBIG), could be efficiently regenerated with up to ∼ 99 % CO2 recovery through direct-steam stripping. Using low-temperature steam at 100 °C, a 4.5 times faster regeneration rate for GBIG carbonate sorbent (e.g., 30 min for 10 g) was demonstrated compared to conductive-heating (e.g., 135 min for 10 g) at 130 °C. Additionally, fully regenerated MGBIG converts into an aqueous MGBIG solution when the steam condenses onto the sorbent surface. Condensed steam with the guanidine can be easily recycled as an aqueous solution into the gas–liquid contactor to achieve a continuous-flow CO2-capture process. Molecular dynamics simulation was employed to provide a better understanding of the process. Higher heat transfer rates from steam to guanidine carbonate, compared to air heating, were attributed to the vibration resonance of water molecules within MGBIG with that of vapor molecules and the effective transfer of kinetic energy from vapor to solid. Technoeconomic analysis demonstrated that direct-steam stripping significantly decreases the CO2 capture cost by 50 % compared to traditional conductive heating methods. Enhanced mass transfer facilitated by low-temperature steam and subsequent condensation effectively heats up the H2O-containing BIG-carbonate crystals, facilitating the desorption of CO2 from the solid crystals, thereby leading to fast, effective, and energy-efficient sorbent regeneration.

Integrated CO2 capture and mineralization approach based on KOH and cement-based wastes

To extend current Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) strategies and explore a circular carbon economy, an integrated CO2 capture and mineralization approach was developed in this work. KOH was used as CO2 absorption agent to simulate post-combustion carbon capture from flue gas, and then cement-based wastes were used as CO2 mineralization feedstock to convert the sequestered carbonate/bicarbonate ions in the solvent to carbonate minerals and thereby recover and regenerate KOH. The features of the integrated CO2 capture and mineralization process were characterized through ICP-OES analysis, TGA, SEM, quantitative XRD analysis, and particle size analysis. In this study, the carbon capture from the simulated flue gas with CO2 concentration of 10 % using 2.0 M KOH was examined, and the real CO2 capture capacity of 2.0 M KOH was determined at around 1.5 M. After CO2 capture, ground mortar wastes were added into the CO2-loaded KOH solvent, which enables CO2 mineralization and thereby decarbonizes the CO2 liquid absorbent. In CO2 mineralization process, the carbonation characteristics of mortar waste at different pH levels were analysed in-depth. The optimum pH interval for the CO2 mineralization of mortar waste was between 10 and 11, and correspondingly, the highest CO2 sequestration capacity was measured at around 164 g CO2/kg. Apart from CO2 capture and mineral sequestration, another two valuable by-products – silica gels and carbonated mortar waste were also collected and analysed. To increase the applicability of the integrated CO2 capture and mineralization process on a commercial scale, future research was also identified and discussed.

Performance of a novel CO2 absorption and reverse electrodialysis system with different amine solutions for simultaneous energy and bicarbonate recovery

In this study, the performance of a novel integrated carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and reverse electrodialysis (RED) system was evaluated. The optimal operating conditions and carbon dioxide absorption and desorption mechanisms were identified. The proposed system utilizes a RED device to recover energy from the desorption step of the CO2 capture process, which is known to have high energy requirements in conventional processes. It has the potential as a hybrid process capable of recovering absorbent, energy, and bicarbonate through RED. To verify the performance of the system, CO2 loading, power density, and absorbent regeneration were evaluated using primary (monoethanolamine, MEA), secondary (diethanolamine, DEA), and tertiary (N-methyldiethanolamine, MDEA) amines. In the case of primary and secondary amines, carbamates, intermediate products, are formed and pass through the ion exchange membrane of RED, thereby achieving high power density. However, they are re-substituted with amines after passing through the ion exchange membrane (IEM), leading to the loss of absorbent. Conversely, in the case of tertiary amines, no intermediate products were formed, and excellent absorbent regeneration performance of more than 99.9% was demonstrated through multi-stage RED. Through this, the feasibility of future applications of this technology was confirmed.

Performance of novel carbonate-based CO2 post-combustion capture process

A novel carbonate-based CO2 capture process was developed at VTT, and proof-of-concept was tested using a bench scale device. The process has closed-loop, carbonate liquid, and the captured CO2 is released at under-pressure. The temperature is around 65 °C, which enables, for example, utilisation of waste heat streams in process integrations. The process performance and its parameters were tested using 8 w-% sodium carbonate liquid with simulated gases, real flue gases and biogas. Also, the absorption mass transfer kinetics and suitable flow parameters of the invented microbubble generator were assessed. The device has successfully and continuously run for tens of hours, and the typical CO2 capture rate between 72 and 84 % were performed at the liquid pH value of 9.3, using a near-atmospheric pressure process. Mass transfer rates kLa for carbonate liquid and air were between 0.14 and 0.34 s−1, which indicates efficient gas absorption, enabling size reduction of the device size.

Catalytic behavior of aluminum-modified SAPO-34 catalysts for reducing the energy penalty of CO2-rich amine solutions regeneration

The goal of this research is to develop a potential strategy to significantly decrease the heat duty for the amine-based CO2 capture process. Here, a variety of Al2O3-modified SAPO-34 composite catalysts with varying Al2O3 contents are synthesized and utilized to catalytically facilitate the CO2 desorption process. The catalytic CO2 desorption characteristics of various catalysts, Al-SAPO-34, SAPO-34, and γ-Al2O3 are investigated in a CO2-loaded 5 M monoethanolamine (MEA) solution. The results indicate that all catalysts accelerate CO2 desorption, while the Al-SAPO-34 catalysts work better than the parent Al2O3 and SAPO-34 catalysts. Especially, the 15 % Al-SAPO-34 increases the CO2 desorption rate by 78.4 % and reduces the relative energy requirement by 37 % at a desorption time of 1440 s. The catalysts are characterized by different methods and their structure–activity relationship is analyzed. The increased acid sites and mesoporous surface area of the Al-SAPO-34 catalyst may be responsible for its greater catalytic activity. The intermediates of the catalytic CO2 desorption process are identified by FT-IR and NMR, and then a possible catalytic regeneration mechanism is put forward. Additionally, the cyclic stability of the Al-SAPO-34 catalyst for cyclic CO2 absorption–desorption is evaluated. This work demonstrates that the Al-SAPO-34 exhibits greater catalytic CO2 desorption performance, and outstanding stability, and has the opportunity to become an attractive industrial catalyst for the amine-based CO2 capture process.

Solid Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Carbon Dioxide Valorization: A Review.

One of the most promising approaches to address the global challenge of climate change is electrochemical carbon capture and utilization. Solid electrolytes can play a crucial role in establishing a chemical-free pathway for the electrochemical capture of CO2. Furthermore, they can be applied in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions (CO2RR) to increase carbon utilization, produce high-purity liquid chemicals, and advance hybrid electro-biosystems. This review article begins by covering the fundamentals and processes of electrochemical CO2 capture, emphasizing the advantages of utilizing solid electrolytes. Additionally, it highlights recent advancements in the use of the solid polymer electrolyte or solid electrolyte layer for the CO2RR with multiple functions. The review also explores avenues for future research to fully harness the potential of solid electrolytes, including the integration of CO2 capture and the CO2RR and performance assessment under realistic conditions. Finally, this review discusses future opportunities and challenges, aiming to contribute to the establishment of a green and sustainable society through electrochemical CO2 valorization.

Removal of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide from Natural Gas Using a Hybrid Solvent of Monoethanolamine and N-Methyl 2-Pyrrolidone.

The main goal of traditional methods for sweetening natural gas (NG) is to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and significantly lower carbon dioxide (CO2). However, when NG processes are integrated into the carbon capture and storage (CCS) framework, there is potential for synergy between these two technologies. A steady-state model utilizing a hybrid solvent consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and monoethanolamine (MEA) has been developed to successfully anticipate the CO2 and H2S capture process from NG. The model was tested against important variables affecting process performance. This article specifically explores the impact of operational parameters such as lean amine temperature, absorber pressure, and amine flow rate on the concentrations of CO2 and H2S in the sweet gas and reboiler duty. The result shows that hybrid solvents (MEA + NMP) perform better in removing acid gases and reducing reboiler duty than conventional chemical solvent MEA. The primary purpose is to meet product requirements while consuming the least energy possible, which is in line with any process plant's efficiency goals.

Impact of thermodynamics and kinetics on the carbon capture performance of the amine-based CO2 capture system

Solvent-based CO2 capture is a commonly employed post-combustion technique in processes involving absorber-stripper columns. This study focused on computer simulations with equilibrium- and rate-based modeling of CO2 capture using the amine solvents 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP), diethanolamine (DEA), and methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) and thermodynamic methods involving electrolyte NRTL models. The objective of this study was to understand the impacts of rate-based modeling, the type of amine, and thermodynamic methods on carbon capture. Within this study, the amine-based CO2 capture process from coal-power plant flue gas was studied using Aspen Plus modeling. Simulations were also conducted to determine the impact of thermodynamics and kinetics on the CO2 capture performance of the system. The results were analyzed on the basis of captured CO2 according to the solvents and models. The equilibrium approach was mostly invalid because of the oversimplified ideal stage assumptions through the column. The lowest carbon capture capacity was obtained with MDEA, while DEA yielded the best results. A sensitivity analysis with rate-based modeling showed the significant impact of the inlet CO2 composition. The amine-based CO2 capture process simulation included solution chemistry, electrolyte thermodynamics, rigorous transport property modeling, reaction kinetics, and rate-based multistage simulation, which could be applicable to different solvent systems.

Economic and operational assessment of solar-assisted hybrid carbon capture system for combined cycle power plants

The paper presents a post-combustion CO2 capture process which involves two configurations for enhancing the CO2 separation driving force in the conventional amine-based Carbon Capture System (CCS): a multi-stage membrane module for selective exhaust gas recirculation (SEGR case) and the combination of turbine exhaust gas recirculation with SEGR (EGR + SEGR case). Furthermore, the stripper reboiler in both configurations is integrated with a parabolic trough solar collector field with a 4-h thermal energy storage to provide the required thermal duty for solvent regeneration. Various system components are designed, simulated, and integrated with an economic model to evaluate the system's techno-economic performance across a wide range of loads. The results show that the proposed designs have efficient part-load performance although efficiency degradation is inevitable during partial-loads. A stable supply of solar thermal energy results during the partial operation of NGCC even during night. The EGR + SEGR case represents the case with the lowest levelized cost of electricity and CO2 avoided cost, 81.43 $/MWh and 101.66 $/tonneCO2, among the CCS-equipped designs, which highlight the advantages of this design over baseline and SEGR case. The proposed hybrid system shows promise for significantly decarbonizing fossil-fuel power plants and increasing power sector flexibility.