Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HiRECORD (SCALING-UP OF A HIGHLY MODULAR ROTATING PACKED BED PLANT WITH AN EFFICIENT SOLVENT FOR CAPTURE COST REDUCTION)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-11-01 do 2024-02-29
The European Union has committed to a climate neutral economy with net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Carbon capture systems will play a significant role to this end, but the wide industrial deployment of such plants is yet to happen at scale. Solvent-based CO2 capture exhibits sufficient maturity for short-term deployment, however significant reductions are still necessary in both capital and operational costs. Such requirements are associated with the predominant use of conventional packed-bed columns in commercial plants, which incur substantial costs due to their large size (height and volume), as well as significant use of resources.
Rotating Packed Beds (RPBs) are emerging as a promising alternative for CO2 capture, due to the intense centrifugal force that is generated as they spin, which significantly enhances the mass transfer and greatly facilitates CO2 absorption. RPBs will enable over 10-15 times lower volume compared to conventional packed beds of the same capture efficiency, allowing a reduction in capture costs. To date very few 1.0 tCO2/d demonstrations of RPB units and plants have been reported (Figure 1).
HiRECORD proposes the scaling-up and demonstration of a 10 t/d capture plant that uses RPBs for absorption and desorption, and operates with the commercial APBS-CDRMax® solvent (Figure 2) owned by Carbon Clean. Research will evaluate the solvent performance and corrosion behaviour of materials under realistic flue gas compositions that include sulphur and nitrogen oxides, typically observed in various industrial sectors. Appropriate models will be developed based on experimental data that may predict the chemical and phase equilibrium compositions. Research will be performed to scale-up the advanced RPB desorber with Integrated Stripper and Reboiler (RPB-ISR), which has significant advantages compared to conventional desorbers with external reboiler. Models for the process and for sustainability assessment will be developed, together with models to investigate options for waste heat recovery through heat pumping that may reduce the capture costs. The societal impact will be measured through a wide range of activities that will include a variety of stakeholders. The capture plant will be installed and tested in a quicklime production plant, a natural gas-fired power plant and an industrial gas boiler.
Rotating Packed Beds (RPBs) are emerging as a promising alternative for CO2 capture, due to the intense centrifugal force that is generated as they spin, which significantly enhances the mass transfer and greatly facilitates CO2 absorption. RPBs will enable over 10-15 times lower volume compared to conventional packed beds of the same capture efficiency, allowing a reduction in capture costs. To date very few 1.0 tCO2/d demonstrations of RPB units and plants have been reported (Figure 1).
HiRECORD proposes the scaling-up and demonstration of a 10 t/d capture plant that uses RPBs for absorption and desorption, and operates with the commercial APBS-CDRMax® solvent (Figure 2) owned by Carbon Clean. Research will evaluate the solvent performance and corrosion behaviour of materials under realistic flue gas compositions that include sulphur and nitrogen oxides, typically observed in various industrial sectors. Appropriate models will be developed based on experimental data that may predict the chemical and phase equilibrium compositions. Research will be performed to scale-up the advanced RPB desorber with Integrated Stripper and Reboiler (RPB-ISR), which has significant advantages compared to conventional desorbers with external reboiler. Models for the process and for sustainability assessment will be developed, together with models to investigate options for waste heat recovery through heat pumping that may reduce the capture costs. The societal impact will be measured through a wide range of activities that will include a variety of stakeholders. The capture plant will be installed and tested in a quicklime production plant, a natural gas-fired power plant and an industrial gas boiler.
The work so far includes experimental measurements of the CO2 solubility in APBS-CDRMax®, under the influence of flue gas compositions that have high concentrations of sulphur and nitrogen oxides. Further work, focused on the characterisation of the solvent after it was subjected to aging for up to 30 days and at temperatures up to 120oC, under the influence of oxides and air and in the presence of stainless steel specimens. Properties that were measured included amine loss, viscosity, density and metal ions in the liquid. We also separately inspected the metal specimens under electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM – EDS) for evidence of corrosion and deposition of degradation products. The study also employed a range of electrochemical techniques, including Open Circuit Potential measurements (OCP), Potentiodynamic and Cyclic Polarisation curves, and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), to provide insights into the corrosion behaviour. A model has been developed based on the SAFT-γ Mie equation of state regarding the inclusion of sulphur and nitrogen oxides in mixtures of CO2 amine and water. Apparent solvent kinetic measurements were performed to provide data for solvent modelling.
Significant preparatory work has been undertaken with respect to the design and construction of the capture plant. HAZOP, HAZID and ATEX analysis took place to determine any necessary improvements that ensure the delivery of a safe plant that is acceptable for use. The work included the development of 3D layouts of the plant and its virtual placement and connection to the host sites. The sites have performed preparatory work pertaining to positioning, connecting and permitting of the capture plant. A framework for the LCA has been developed, considering data regarding solvent degradation products and models for solvent reclaiming. A process model considering integrated RPB-based absorption/desorption has been developed and validated. Data regarding societal stakeholders have been gathered and the details regarding their engagement through interviews and focus groups have been determined.
Significant preparatory work has been undertaken with respect to the design and construction of the capture plant. HAZOP, HAZID and ATEX analysis took place to determine any necessary improvements that ensure the delivery of a safe plant that is acceptable for use. The work included the development of 3D layouts of the plant and its virtual placement and connection to the host sites. The sites have performed preparatory work pertaining to positioning, connecting and permitting of the capture plant. A framework for the LCA has been developed, considering data regarding solvent degradation products and models for solvent reclaiming. A process model considering integrated RPB-based absorption/desorption has been developed and validated. Data regarding societal stakeholders have been gathered and the details regarding their engagement through interviews and focus groups have been determined.
The APBS-CDRMax® solvent exhibited much higher capture capacity and 20 times better corrosion performance than reference solvent monoethanolamine (MEA). It also exhibited high resilience in the presence of a large concentration of contaminants such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides.
A general model and parameters (Figure 3) have been developed for the prediction of phase and chemical equilibria in CO2 capture systems that may account for the presence of sulphur and nitrogen oxide species. This has enormous practical value, as it is possible to derive predictions for realistic flue gas compositions. The model is based on SAFT-γ Mie equation of state that, by design, may be applied to a wide range of settings, including CO2 capture from industrial effluents, but also in the context of direct air capture or capture from natural streams. The model is highly transferable to other industries, e.g. pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals. The parameters can be used through both commercial (gPROMS) and open source (Clapeyron.jl) software.
Safety assessments have been conducted that resulted in a safe capture plant that is acceptable for use by the industrial host sites, while the detailed 3D design has indicated the very low plant footprint (Figure 2). The process flowsheet includes a two-stage RPB absorber and RPB desorber with Integrated Stripper and Reboiler (ISR). The RPB absorber enables interstage cooling which improves CO2 capture efficiency, reduces regeneration energy and helps lower solvent degradation and emissions. In the RPB-ISR the temperature difference between the solvent and the steam used to heat it can be lower because there is no requirement to generate vapour at pressure, allowing improved heat transfer. Furthermore, heat loss from the walls of the single RPB-ISR is reduced compared to if there were two separate units. Both these factors act to reduce the energy consumption compared to an RPB desorber with an external reboiler.
The developed RPB-based process model has exhibited an excellent match with experimental data, as it showed a 2.2-4% average deviation in indicators like lean loading, reboiler duty, absorber CO2 gas fraction and liquid temperature. Regarding the LCA data, potential degradation products were singled out. The LCA framework for the process has been delineated individuating the inventories (i.e. foreground data) required for the cradle-to-gate part of the environmental sustainability assessment. A solvent purge reclamation and recycling system was conceptualised including an estimate of the materials and energy balances for the LCIs. For the societal analysis we have developed measures including a questionnaire to assess several variables (e.g. previous knowledge of CCUS, risk and benefit perceptions etc.) and interview protocols. We have identified focus groups including university students and local residents, industrial stakeholders, local government officials and media people.
A general model and parameters (Figure 3) have been developed for the prediction of phase and chemical equilibria in CO2 capture systems that may account for the presence of sulphur and nitrogen oxide species. This has enormous practical value, as it is possible to derive predictions for realistic flue gas compositions. The model is based on SAFT-γ Mie equation of state that, by design, may be applied to a wide range of settings, including CO2 capture from industrial effluents, but also in the context of direct air capture or capture from natural streams. The model is highly transferable to other industries, e.g. pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals. The parameters can be used through both commercial (gPROMS) and open source (Clapeyron.jl) software.
Safety assessments have been conducted that resulted in a safe capture plant that is acceptable for use by the industrial host sites, while the detailed 3D design has indicated the very low plant footprint (Figure 2). The process flowsheet includes a two-stage RPB absorber and RPB desorber with Integrated Stripper and Reboiler (ISR). The RPB absorber enables interstage cooling which improves CO2 capture efficiency, reduces regeneration energy and helps lower solvent degradation and emissions. In the RPB-ISR the temperature difference between the solvent and the steam used to heat it can be lower because there is no requirement to generate vapour at pressure, allowing improved heat transfer. Furthermore, heat loss from the walls of the single RPB-ISR is reduced compared to if there were two separate units. Both these factors act to reduce the energy consumption compared to an RPB desorber with an external reboiler.
The developed RPB-based process model has exhibited an excellent match with experimental data, as it showed a 2.2-4% average deviation in indicators like lean loading, reboiler duty, absorber CO2 gas fraction and liquid temperature. Regarding the LCA data, potential degradation products were singled out. The LCA framework for the process has been delineated individuating the inventories (i.e. foreground data) required for the cradle-to-gate part of the environmental sustainability assessment. A solvent purge reclamation and recycling system was conceptualised including an estimate of the materials and energy balances for the LCIs. For the societal analysis we have developed measures including a questionnaire to assess several variables (e.g. previous knowledge of CCUS, risk and benefit perceptions etc.) and interview protocols. We have identified focus groups including university students and local residents, industrial stakeholders, local government officials and media people.