Dynamic Modeling of CO2 Absorption Process Using Hollow-Fiber Membrane Contactor in MEA Solution

Abstract

In this work, a comprehensive mathematical model was developed in order to evaluate the CO2 capture process in a microporous polypropylene hollow-fiber membrane countercurrent contactor, using monoethanolamine (MEA) as the chemical solvent. In terms of CO2 chemical absorption, the developed model showed excellent agreement with the experimental data published in the literature for a wide range of operating conditions (R2 > 0.96), 1–2.7 L/min gas flow rates and 10–30 L/h liquid flow rates. Based on developed model, the effects of the gas flow rate, aqueous liquid absorbents’ flow rate and also inlet CO2 concentration on the removal efficiency of CO2 were determined. The % removal of CO2 increased while increasing the MEA solution flow rate; 81% of CO2 was removed at the high flow rate. The CO2 removal efficiency decreased while increasing the gas flow rate, and the residence time in the hollow-fiber membrane contactors increased when the gas flow rate was lower, reaching 97% at a gas flow rate of 1 L‧min–1. However, the effect was more pronounced while operating at high gas flow rates. Additionally, the influence of momentous operational parameters such as the number of fibers and module length on the CO2 separation efficiency was evaluated. On this basis, the developed model was also used to evaluate CO2 capture process in hollow-fiber membrane contactors in a flexible operation scenario (with variation in operating conditions) in order to predict the process parameters (liquid and gaseous flows, composition of the streams, mass transfer area, mass transfer coefficient, etc.).

Efficient CO2 absorption through wet and falling film membrane contactors: insights from modeling and simulation

“…Several mathematical models were developed to depict the transport of gas impurities such as CO 2 and H 2 S within a solvent across a hollow fiber membrane contactor 14 – 18 , 31 , 37 , 38 . A comprehensive model was developed to describe the gas and liquid reactions and transport inside the contactor under wetting or non-wetting conditions 39 .…”

3D-CFD Modeling of Hollow-Fiber Membrane Contactor for CO2 Absorption Using MEA Solution

“…The CO 2 mass transfer flux from the gas phase to the liquid phase is calculated based on the overall mass transfer coefficient of CO 2 , the concentration gradient at the gasliquid interface, and the absorption enhancement factor E given by the chemical reaction (Equation ( 12)) [23]:…”

“…In addition, the chemical reaction can also be integrated by using the enhancement factor brought by the reaction [17]. The 1D models available in the literature also consider different solvents for the absorption process and whether the membranes are wetted or not [18][19][20][21][22][23]. The 2D models suppose a single fiber inside the HFMC, considering the variation of parameters over the axial and radial directions occurring within the diffusive and convective transport mechanisms.…”

Development and evaluation of a hollow fiber membrane contactor for carbon dioxide capture

“…It is becoming more and more crucial to research carbon dioxide (CO2 ) capture and storage to lessen greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the consequences of climate change 1,2,3,4,5,6 . The usage of hollow fiber membrane conductors, which successfully remove CO2 from gas streams by combining the advantages of chemical desorption and membrane separation, is one viable CO2 capture technique 4,7,8,9,10 .…”