Process design and optimization of membrane-based CO2 capture process with experimental performance data for a steam methane reforming hydrogen plant and a coal-fired power plant

Membrane-based separation is one of the promising next-generation carbon capture technologies. High degrees of freedom in process design for multi-stage membrane networks, make it difficult to fully understand the impact of network configuration on the economics of capture and separation performance. Furthermore, the optimality in process design is heavily influenced by the levels of membrane performance and the characteristics of feed gas. Membrane model utilized for the study is validated and tuned with 183 experimental data measured at various operating conditions, having 2.45 % of overall prediction error. The superstructure-based framework for the optimization of multi-stage membrane networks is used, with which design interactions between network configurations, flue gas characteristics and membrane performance are systematically investigated. Techno-economic analysis is embedded in the optimization framework, which performs rigorous trade-off between capital and operating costs, as well as allows simultaneous determination of optimal process network configuration and operating variables. Flue gas streams emitted from a coal-fired power plant and a steam methane reforming hydrogen production plant are selected as CO2 capture sources for the analysis of flue gas characteristics. Case study shows capture cost ranged from 30.2 $/tCO(2) to 79.9 $/tCO(2), depending on the network configuration and design specifications, and clearly improves our techno-economic understanding on the network configuration of membrane capture process. In addition, cryogenic-hybridized membrane capture process is examined and the optimal level of enriched CO2 stream concentration between membrane capture and cryogenic distillation processes is determined. Study suggests how network configuration of membrane capture process can impact capture cost.