Project: Comparison of Solvents for Post-combustion Capture of CO2 by Chemical Absorption

Research Team: Anusha Kothandaraman, Gregory McRae, Howard Herzog, Lars Nord (NTNU) and Olav Bolland (NTNU)

Sponsors: The Research Council of Norway, StatoilHydro

Summary:
Post combustion absorption technologies represent one of the most commercially ready technologies for CO2 capture.  Solvent selection is the critical consideration in post-combustion absorption capture technology.  In order to compare the performance of different solvents, it is necessary to perform simulations on a consistent basis and perform a process analysis of the system.  This will enable us to identify the optimal solvents for different systems and also aid in developing process configurations to maximize the energy efficiency of the plant.

We are developing detailed simulations for the monoethanolamine (MEA), potassium carbonate (K2CO3) and chilled ammonia (NH3) solvent systems in ASPEN.  The simulations are being developed within the ASPEN RATESEP framework and have the accurate representation of the thermodynamics and kinetics of the system.  The simulations are valid for both natural gas and coal fired power plants.  The study is expected to be completed by the summer of 2010.

Publications:
Kothandaraman, A., L. Nord, O. Bolland, H. Herzog and G. McRae., "Comparison of solvents for post-combustion capture of CO2 by chemical absorption," presented at the 9th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Washington, DC, November (2008). <PDF>