Membrane-Sorbent Hybrid System for Post Combustion Carbon Capture

The electricity produced from fossil fuels is essential to the world’s prosperity and security. On the other hand, increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration caused by the fossil fuel combustion are causing concerns regarding global warming. Although there are several methods for separating CO2 from the flue gases at existing coal-fired power plants, all of them have significant drawbacks, including loss of efficiency and increased capital and operating costs that dramatically increase the cost of electricity. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA), in collaboration with Membrane Technology Research Corporation and the University of California, Irvine are developing a low cost, high capacity sorbent that will integrate into a membrane-sorbent hybrid post-combustion carbon capture system to remove CO2 from coal-fired power plant effluents. During Phase II we continued to improve the performance of our sorbent. We scaled-up its production using commercial manufacturing techniques. We optimized the reactor design to significantly reduce the pressure drop (and hence the parasitic losses). In collaboration with MTR, we built an integrated hybrid membrane-sorbent prototype unit that allowed us to remove 90% of CO2 (2.5 kg/hr) from a 2 to 5 SCFM flue gas stream. We completed more than 250 hours of operation with the prototype unit. We also completed a detailed engineering analysis showing that the cost of CO2 capture by the hybrid membrane- sorbent system is $35.5 per tonne on $2011 basis. A field test with the prototype unit is scheduled in June 2017 at WRI to evaluate the efficacy of the hybrid system using actual coal-derived flue gas. In the Phase IIB effort, we will design and fabricate a fully-automated hybrid membrane-sorbent system, capable of treating 250 SCFM (0.1 MW equivalent) of flue gas. We will carry out extended tests in our facilities to optimize the operation of the unit and get it ready for the field tests. We then evaluate the performance of the system using actual coal-derived flue gas from a power plant. We will then update the design of the hybrid membrane-sorbent system, obtaining accurate cost estimates from vendors. CO2 is a major greenhouse gas and the most dominant source for the anthropogenic CO2 emissions. It is a by-product of the combustion of fossil fuels, in particular burning coal for generating electricity. The proposed technology will provide a cost effective way to control CO2 emissions from the existing and new coal-fired power plants. There will be a large market when legislation limiting or taxing carbon emissions is put in place.