Design of a bench scale unit for continuous CO2 capture via temperature swing adsorption—Fluid-dynamic feasibility study

Abstract The design of a bench scale unit (BSU) for continuous CO2 capture via temperature swing adsorption (TSA) is introduced. The BSU comprises two, interconnected multi-stage fluidized bed columns that allow for counter-current contact of adsorbent and gas streams during adsorption and desorption, respectively. From a fluid-dynamic point of view, the system is capable to capture 100 kg of CO2 per day from a feed gas stream having 5 vol.% CO2 content. In order to study the fluid-dynamic operability of the proposed BSU design, a cold flow model (CFM) representing half of the BSU system was constructed and operated. The CFM consists of five consecutive stages of bubbling fluidized beds and a recirculation line that comprises a mechanical screw conveyor, a pneumatic transport riser and a gas–solids separator. A comprehensive CFM campaign that included variations of the main operating parameters was conducted using air as fluidizing agent and polystyrene particles as bed material. Pressure drops across the individual stages and along the transportation riser were continuously measured to monitor the solids distribution within the system. Results from CFM experiments showed that continuous operation of the multi-stage fluidized bed system is possible within a broad range of operating conditions. After completion of the first experimental campaign, a further test was conducted to study the expansion of the dense phase of the fluidized bed within an individual stage, using long-time exposure photography. The obtained pictures delivered qualitative explanations for the results obtained from the parameter variations conducted in the first campaign. Altogether, the CFM test campaign clearly proved the fluid-dynamic feasibility of the proposed BSU design. In a next step, the results of this study will be used to elaborate the detailed design of the actual BSU for continuous CO2 capture via temperature swing adsorption.

[1]  Bhim Charan Meikap,et al.  Pressure drop characteristics of a multi-stage counter-current fluidized bed reactor for control of gaseous pollutants , 2009 .

[2]  Leon R. Glicksman.  Fluidized Bed Scaleup , 2003 .

[3]  Wenying Zhao,et al.  Continuous CO2 Capture in Dual Fluidized Beds Using Silica Supported Amine , 2013 .

[4]  Hermann Hofbauer,et al.  Cold Flow Model Study on a Dual Circulating Fluidized Bed (DCFB) System for Chemical Looping Processes , 2009 .

[5]  C. R. Mohanty,et al.  Identification of stable operating ranges of a counter-current multistage fluidized bed reactor with downcomer , 2010 .

[6]  Wen-Ching Yang,et al.  Exploratory Design Study on Reactor Configurations for Carbon Dioxide Capture from Conventional Power Plants Employing Regenerable Solid Sorbents , 2009 .

[7]  Abhoyjit S. Bhown,et al.  Comparing physisorption and chemisorption solid sorbents for use separating CO2 from flue gas using temperature swing adsorption , 2011 .

[8]  W. Svrcek,et al.  Holdup dynamics of a single stage gas‐solid fluidized bed adsorber , 1975 .

[9]  Martin Dillon,et al.  Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Using Solid Sorbents: 1 MWe Pilot Evaluation☆ , 2013 .

[10]  A. Marcilla,et al.  Stable operating velocity range for multistage fluidized bed reactors with downcomers , 1995 .

[11]  Dong Hyun Lee,et al.  Heat transfer and bubble characteristics in a fluidized bed with immersed horizontal tube bundle , 2003 .

[12]  J. G. Yates,et al.  Fluidization engineering: Second edition , 1993 .

[13]  A. Samanta,et al.  Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Using Solid Sorbents: A Review , 2012 .

[14]  Holly Krutka,et al.  Evaluation of solid sorbents as a retrofit technology for CO2 capture , 2010 .

[15]  Hermann Hofbauer,et al.  Introduction and evaluation of a double loop staged fluidized bed system for post-combustion CO2 capture using solid sorbents in a continuous temperature swing adsorption process , 2016 .

[16]  Sascha R.A. Kersten,et al.  Continuous CO2 capture in a circulating fluidized bed using supported amine sorbents , 2012 .

[17]  Hsiaotao Bi,et al.  Flow regime diagrams for gas-solid fluidization and upward transport , 1995 .

[18]  K. Krishnaiah,et al.  Pressure drop, solids concentration and mean holding time in multistage fluidisation , 1982 .

[19]  Anders Lyngfelt,et al.  Design and Fluid Dynamic Analysis of a Bench-Scale Combustion System with CO2 Separation−Chemical-Looping Combustion , 2005 .

[20]  G. Thodos,et al.  Expansion characteristics of gas‐fluidized beds , 1977 .

[21]  D. Geldart.  Types of gas fluidization , 1973 .

[22]  K. J. Champagne,et al.  Parametric Study of Solid Amine Sorbents for the Capture of Carbon Dioxide , 2009 .

[23]  M. Judd,et al.  The design of downcomers joining gas-fluidized beds in multistage systems , 1978 .

[24]  Youssef Belmabkhout,et al.  Flue gas treatment via CO2 adsorption , 2011 .

[25]  Leon R. Glicksman,et al.  Simplified scaling relationships for fluidized beds , 1993 .

[26]  Adrien Gomez,et al.  A theoretical analysis of the energy consumption of post-combustion CO2 capture processes by temperature swing adsorption using solid sorbents , 2013 .