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Increasing mass transfer rate in aqueous gas absorption for CO2 capture and storage - 2200

*Abstract

Overview

Removalof CO₂ from flue gas resulting from combustion/gasification andother energy conversion processes is a major concern due to the increasingconcentration of CO₂ in the earth’s atmosphere.  Removal of CO₂ from a gas streamis typically achieved through the use of an aqueous amine solution.  Due to mass transfer limitations of the aminesolution, CO₂ absorber towers are quite large in order to provideenough contact time between the flue gas and amine solution to allow thedesired amount of CO₂ to be removed from a small volume.  There is a need for technology that increasescontact time between flue gas and amine solution.

      

   

 

Invention

Researchers at UK’s Center for Applied Energy Research aredeveloping a method for increasing the mass transfer rate of CO₂absorption.  Alternating hydrophobic andhydrophilic regions in a packing material generate intensified turbulent flowin the amine solution, refreshing reaction interface with the unreacted aminein the bulk then increasing the contact probability between unreacted amine solutionand flue gas.  This increased contactbetween unreacted amine solution and flue gas increases the mass transfer rateof CO₂ from the flue gas to the amine solution.  Bench scale testing of the technology showsthat a 20% increase in mass transfer can be achieved.

 

Applications

Thistechnology is suitable for deployment in any system utilizing structuredpacking material for gas scrubbing with an aqueous solution, and isparticularly well-suited for increasing the absorption rate and captureefficiency of CO₂ with amine solutions.

 

Advantages

• 20% increase in mass transfer rate of CO₂ into the aqueous amine solution
• Lowered energy stripping requirements following CO₂ absorption
• Technology can be included as part of initial construction or retrofitted to existing absorber towers

 

Technology Highlights

• Alternatinghydrophobic and hydrophilic regions in packing material create intensifiedmixing in aqueous amine solution
• Refreshingamine solution at liquid-gas interaction layer increases contact probabilitybetween unreacted amine in the bulk and flue gas, increasing mass transfer rateof CO₂ into the amine solution
• Technologycan be deployed in any setting where CO₂, or other acid gases, arebeing removed from CO₂ contained gas stream

 

Development Stage:  Bench Scale

 

IP Status:  Patent Pending

 

Country/Region

USA