Experimental study on the effect of process parameters on postcombustion CO₂ capture using rotating packed bed technology

Abstract

Environmental issues are the most discussed in today's industrialized world, and this has always been associated with the emission of greenhouse gases. CO2 emissions, especially from power plants, are considered the major greenhouse gas source. Capturing CO2 from large emission sources is necessary to address the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heat waves, and intermittent rainfall. Conventional post‐combustion CO2 capture has always been questioned because of its high impact on energy costs. Rotating packed bed technology has shown the potential to reduce the cost of CO2 capture. This paper presents an experimental study on an in‐house designed rotating packed bed absorber for the capture of CO2 from a flue gas stream. Effects of process parameters such as rotating speed, liquid‐to‐gas ratio, and monoethanolamine (MEA) concentration on CO2 capture efficiency and overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient were studied. The study showed that as rotor speed increased, the CO2 capture efficiency increased, this can be attributed to higher rotor speed, resulting in more droplet flow, indicating an increase in the area of contact between the flue gas and the MEA solvent. Also, as the concentration of MEA increased CO2 capture efficiency increased, since an increase in concentration results in an increase in the rate of reaction. Finally, the study showed that a rotating packed bed absorber is an efficient unit for CO2 capture since it enhances mass transfer performance.