Reduction of CO2 capture plant energy requirement by selecting a suitable solvent and analyzing the operating parameters

Among various developed methods for CO2 capturing from industrial flue gases, chemical absorption system is still considered as the most efficient technique, because of its lower energy requirement and also its applicability for low concentration of CO2 in the inlet gas stream. Also, it can be used to retrofit the existed power plants, which are the major industrial CO2 emission sources, without changing their design condition. Selection of a suitable solvent is the first parameter that should be considered in the design of capture plants that use absorption technology. The most important challenge for using chemical solvents is finding the optimum operating conditions to minimize the energy requirement. Study of technical parameters can be helpful to improve the overall capture plant efficiency. In this paper, CO2 capture plant has been simulated for different solvents to compare their performance and energy requirement. To improve the plant overall efficiency, effect of the main operating factors such as amine flow rate, temperature, inlet gas temperature, and pressure has been studied in this paper. This analysis indicates the best chemical solvent for various cases of inlet flue gas. This parametric study reduces the overall energy requirement and helps design a cost-effective plant. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.