INTEGRATED ADSORBENT AND PROCESS DESIGN FOR CARBON CAPTURE FROM POWER PLANT FLUE GAS

Abstract

VACUUM SWING ADSORPTION (VSA) IS ONE OF THE COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES FOR CARBON CAPTURE AND CONCENTRATION (CCC) FROM POWER PLANT FLUE GAS, WHICH COULD BENEFIT FROM NEW ADSORBENTS DESIGNED BASED ON PROCESS PERFORMANCE. IN THIS STUDY, A VSA PROCESS OPTIMIZATION PLATFORM FOR CCC WAS DEVELOPED. IT WAS FIRST USED TO IDENTIFY HOW ADSORBENT CHARACTERISTICS AFFECTED ENERGY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF A 4-STEP CYCLE THAT GAVE 95% PURITY AND 90% RECOVERY OF CO 2 WITHOUT REFLUX, ALBEIT EVACUATION PRESSURE AND PRODUCTIVITY WERE TOO LOW FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION. THESE WERE MARKEDLY IMPROVED WITH A NOVEL 6-STEP, DUAL-REFLUX CYCLE. THE PLATFORM WAS SUBSEQUENTLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ADSORBENT CHARACTERISTICS AND PERFORM INTEGRATED ADSORBENT-PROCESS OPTIMIZATION FOR GIVEN OBJECTIVES. FINALLY, PROCESS SCALE-UP AND COSTING METHODOLOGY WAS ADDED TO THE PLATFORM TO ESTABLISH LOWEST COST OF ELECTRICITY FOR VSA BASED CCC, AND THE CORRESPONDING ISOTHERM SHAPES AND OPTIMUM PROCESS CONDITIONS. ADSORBENT DESIGN BY PROC