Process Intensification for Enhanced Carbon Capture

The Department of Energy is interested in developing enhanced carbon capture technologies via process intensification in lieu of developing new solvents, solid sorbents, or membranes in particular for post-combustion CO2 capture systems. New process intensification technologies that hybrid two or more unit operations into a single process are desired to enhance the capture of CO2 in post- combustion processes. Conventional carbon capture with amine-based solvent approaches contact CO2 and amine solvents in packed columns absorbing CO2. With this standard approach, there are a number of performance issues hindering CO2 absorption limiting the carbon capture process. These include heat generation requiring a separate cooling loop to be integrated into packed column removing this heat. Mass transfer limitations of the CO2gas molecules to the solvent is another limitation where industrial methods have favored packing materials with substantial surface area to enhance the mixing of CO2 and amine solvents. What the market needs is a new absorption column design that combines local cooling and enhanced gas-liquid contact to maximize the absorption of CO2 in traditional amine solvents. This Phase I program will produce a better absorption packing unit that integrates internal cooling and gas-liquid contact regions into the absorption packing. Commercial applications for this hybrid absorption packing unit are directed at capturing carbon dioxide from post-combustion processes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere. Additional applications of this new packing unit may be applied to other absorption process units that need enhanced gas-liquid interfacial contact area to maximize mass transfer applications.