2019 AIChE Annual Meeting

(223e) Sub-Ambient Pressure Swing Adsorption Enabling High Capacity CO2 Capture

Authors

DeWitt, S. J. A. - Presenter, Georgia Institute of Technology
Lively, R., Georgia Institute of Technology
Adsorption of CO2 from post-combustion flue gas is one of the leading candidates for low-cost carbon capture systems. While a number of challenges face the widespread adoption of this technology, one key issue will be to reduce the massive demand for sorbent materials1. This talk focuses on the use of structured sorbent materials exhibiting high capacity for sub-ambient pressure swing adsorption. We have found flue gas compression and cooling is counterintuitively energy efficient when extensive heat integration and energy recovery is utilized, and this concept enables high operating capacity for a variety of MOF sorbents2. Current rigorous technoeconomic estimates reveal parasitic loads as low as 22% and total costs of CO2 as low as $41/tonne.

In this talk, the highly heat integrated sub-ambient pressure swing adsorption process that enables high operating capacities using robust metal-organic frameworks will be discussed. Synthesis and formation of advanced composite materials capable of exceeding 10 molCO2/kgsorbentwill be considered, as will methods of improving sorbent performance via management of sorption enthalpy3. The effect of cold operation on breakthrough performance, particularly front spreading due to cold operation will be considered. Single and dual bed PSA results will be presented for the sub-ambient PSA process for both fiber and pellet beds to demonstrate its economic feasibility feeding the PSA results back into the economic model.

References

  1. Yu, C.-H.; Huang, C.-H.; Tan, C.-S., A Review of CO2 Capture by Absorption and Adsorption. Aerosol and Air Quality Research 2012, 12, (5), 745-769.
  2. Park, J.; Lively, R. P.; Sholl, D. S., Establishing upper bounds on CO2 swing capacity in sub-ambient pressure swing adsorption via molecular simulation of metal-organic frameworks. Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2017.
  3. DeWitt, S. J. A.; Rubiera Landa, H. O.; Kawajiri, Y.; Realff, M.; Lively, R. P., Development of Phase-Change-Based Thermally Modulated Fiber Sorbents. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2018.