Citation:
A. Lawal, M. Wang, P. Stephenson, H. Yeung, Dynamic modelling of CO2 absorption
for post combustion capture in coal-fired power plants, Fuel, Volume 88, Issue
12, 7th European Conference on Coal Research and Its Applications, December
2009, Pages 2455-2462
Abstract:
Power generation from fossil fuel-fired power plants is the largest single
source of CO2 emissions. Post combustion capture via chemical absorption is
viewed as the most mature CO2 capture technique. This paper presents a study of
the post combustion CO2 capture with monoethanolamine (MEA) based on dynamic
modelling of the process. The aims of the project were to compare two different
approaches (the equilibrium-based approach versus the rate-based approach) in
modelling the absorber dynamically and to understand the dynamic behaviour of
the absorber during part load operation and with disturbances from the stripper.
A powerful modelling and simulation tool gPROMS was chosen to implement the
proposed work. The study indicates that the rate-based model gives a better
prediction of the chemical absorption process than the equilibrium-based model.
The dynamic simulation of the absorber indicates normal absorber column
operation could be maintained during part load operation by maintaining the
ratio of the flow rates of the lean solvent and flue gas to the absorber.
Disturbances in the CO2 loading of the lean solvent to the absorber
significantly affect absorber performance. Further work will extend the dynamic
modelling to the stripper for whole plant analysis.