CO2 capture using aqueous ammonia: kinetic study and process simulation

Carbon dioxide capture using aqueous ammonia is a post-combustion technology that has shown a good potential. Therefore this process is studied by measuring the rate of absorption of carbon dioxide by aqueous ammonia and by performing process simulation. The rate of absorption of carbon dioxide by aqueous ammonia solvent has been studied by applying a wetted wall column apparatus. The rate of absorption is crucial regarding the sizing of the absorber columns. The overall mass transfer coefficient has been measured at temperatures from 279 to 304K for 1 to 10wt% ammonia solutions at loadings up to 0.6. The results were compared with those found for 30wt% mono-ethanolamine ( MEA) solutions. The capture process was simulated successfully using the simulator Aspen Plus coupled with the extended UNIQUAC thermodynamic model available for the NH3-CO2-H2O system. For this purpose, a user model interface was developed. The heat and electricity requirements were analyzed for a base case configuration, and a preliminary sensitivity analysis was performed on the heat and the electricity requirements and on the ammonia slip from the absorber. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.