Modeling and simulation of CO2 removal from power plant flue gas by PG solution in a hollow fiber membrane contactor

The absorption of carbon dioxide from nitrogen-carbon dioxide mixture was investigated in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hollow fiber membrane module using potassium glycinate (PG) aqueous solution. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the behavior of CO2 removal by PG solution in hollow fiber module and solved for the non-wetted operation mode. The simulation results showed that both CO2 mass transfer rate and removal efficiency were favored by concentration of PG, liquid flow rate and liquid temperature, and while the gas temperature having no push on the removal efficiency, increase in gas flow rate and initial CO2 concentration will reversely affect the capture process. Comparison of different diameters for the fibers of contactor and also different number of fibers showed that there is conditions of number and diameter of fibers which results in highest removal efficiency. Moreover, the simulation results agreed well with the expected theoretical trends. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.