Carbon dioxide absorption by monoethanolamine in hollow fiber membrane contactors: A parametric investigation

A mathematical and numerical investigations on the gasliquid absorption of carbon dioxide in monoethanolamine solutions in a hollow fiber membrane contactor device is described. The reactive absorption mechanism was built based on momentum and mass transport conservation laws in all three compartments involved in the process, i.e., the gas phase, the membrane barrier, and the liquid phase. The liquid absorbing solution flows in the fiber bore in which the velocity is assumed to obey a fully developed laminar flow, and the gas mixture circulates counter-currently to the liquid flow in the shell side where the velocity is characterized by the Navier-Stokes momentum balance equations. The average outlet gas and liquid concentrations, the reactive absorption flux, and the gas removal efficiencies are parametrically simulated with operational parameters such as gas flow rate, fresh inlet amine concentrations, and fiber geometrical characteristics. The shell velocity was described by other flow hydrodynamics models besides Navier-Stokes and their simulated results were favorably compared to experimental data. (c) 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012