CO2 Capture & MEA Regeneration System
Modeling an industrial post-combustion carbon capture process using 30 wt% aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent with 98.25% post-flash recovery.
1. Project Overview & Context
Modeling an industrial post-combustion carbon capture process using 30 wt% aqueous monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent with 98.25% post-flash recovery.
2. Problem Statement
Capturing dilute CO2 from power plant flue gas (12 mol% CO2) using aqueous MEA solvent while optimizing stripper reboiler energy consumption.
3. Objectives
1. Model rate-based absorber and stripper columns in Aspen Plus. 2. Evaluate CO2 recovery efficiency across rich/lean amine heat exchangers. 3. Minimize reboiler energy duty per ton of captured CO2.
4. Simulation Setup & Thermodynamic Selection
Rate-based column modeling using Electrolyte-NRTL thermodynamics in Aspen Plus. Validated against pilot plant data from the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC).
5. Process Flow & Reduction Chemistry
Rate-based column modeling using Electrolyte-NRTL thermodynamics in Aspen Plus. Validated against pilot plant data from the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC).
6. Model Input Variables & Boundary Conditions
| Parameter | Value | Units | Engineering Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Pressure | Variable | bar | Process Specification |
| Feed Flow Rate | Nominal | kg/h | Simulation Balance |
8. Results & Findings
9. Engineering Discussion & Trade-Off Analysis
Optimizing the rich/lean exchanger temperature approach to 5 °C reduced reboiler duty by 14.5%, demonstrating that heat integration is vital for economically viable CCUS deployment.
10. Financial Impact & Decision-Support Platform
Economic feasibility evaluations assess capital expenditures, operational utility consumption, and payback thresholds to validate commercial viability.
11. Environmental Impact & Decarbonization Value
Significant reductions in carbon emissions and fuel waste achieved through rigorous process simulation and heat integration.
12. Model Limitations & Scope Boundaries
Amine degradation (thermal and oxidative) was omitted from steady-state vapor-liquid equilibrium balances.
13. Engineering Conclusions
Chemical absorption via MEA remains effective for industrial flue gas, provided reboiler heat integration is strictly optimized.
14. Future Development & Digital Twin Integration
Screening piperazine-promoted MDEA blends to further drop reboiler energy below 3.0 GJ/ton CO2.
16. Technical Video Walkthrough
Watch on YouTube Channel (@AndrewOmwengaProcessEng)Need a similar analysis for your process plant?
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