Membrane Contactors for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture: Model Development, Sensitivity Analysis, and Application to CO2 Capture from a Coal-fired Power Plant

Abstract

A hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) model for CO2 absorption using monoethanol amine (MEA) as an absorbent is developed based on a one-dimensional-two-dimensional modeling approach, where plug flow is assumed in the gas phase while axial convection and radial dispersion are considered in the liquid phase. A full-scale simulation of CO2 capture from flue gas of a coal-fired power plant is performed using the model, and the requirements of HFMC modules for 90% CO2 capture are calculated. The results showed that the use of HFMCs for CO2 capture has the potential to provide reduced volume compared to the traditional absorbers. The concentration, viscosity, and temperature profiles of the liquid phase are predicted. A sensitivity study is conducted to analyze the impact of model parameters on the performance of the membrane contactor.