Acoustic-driven absorper packing material for CO2 capture - 2137
- *Abstract
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Overview
Widespread legislation requiring the capture of greenhouse gasemissions from major industries makes the removal of acid gasses, such as CO2,from flue gas generated in coal combustion pressing concern. The counter-current amine-based absorptioncolumn with a regenerative boiler (stripper) is regarded as a lead candidatefor full scale industrial CO2 capture. Our invention significantly enhances theeffectiveness of such an absorption column.
Invention
University of Kentucky researchers are developing a technologythat increases the absorption rate of solvents used in the absorption process,thereby decreasing capital equipment costs for the overall process. By increasing the absorption rate, aminesolvents can capture equivalent amounts of CO2 (or other acid gases)in shorter tower heights. This candecrease pressure drop across the absorber and lower overall capital costs offull-scale deployment, or it can be used to reach richer solvent loading toincrease stripping efficiency.
Testing has yielded up to a 21-40% increase in absorptionrate.
Possible Applications
The technology is applicable to any absorptionprocess, including those used in
- electric power stations
- chemical industries
- laboratories
Advantages
- Works with any absorption packing material
- Relatively simple operation
- High absorption capacity
- Increases gas to liquid absorption (relative) by up to 20% when used alone and up to 40% when used in conjunction with a second technology
- Can be used in a generic reactor-based process
- Counteracts negative effects of channeling
- Decreases operational costs associated with stripping
- Ability to retrofit existing units
- Consumes little energy (approx. 50-150 watts per cubic foot of packing material)
Development Stage: Successful scale-up to a small absorption column
IP Status: patent pending
- Country/Region
- USA
