Explores an innovative Electrochemical Carbon Capture (ECC) system, offering a potentially more efficient alternative to traditional CO2 capture methods in industrial scale.
The levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a principal driver of global climate change, necessitate the development of efficient CO2 capture technologies.
Key sources of CO2 emissions, such as power generation and cement manufacturing facilities, demand innovative strategies for environmental mitigation.
Currently, Monoethanolamine (MEA) CO2 capture technology, which operates on a thermal swing process using a 30% wt.
MEA solution, is prevalent in industrial applications. However, this method is highly energy-intensive, consuming 2.4 to 3.7 GJ per ton of CO2 captured.
In contrast, Electrochemical CO2 Capture (ECC) emerges as a theoretically more efficient alternative, albeit less mature than amine-based systems.
ECC leverages electrical energy to facilitate the separation and regeneration of solvent through a membrane system, enabling continuous CO2 adsorption and desorption.
Recent advancements in ECC have shown promising reductions in energy consumption, potentially reaching as low as 60 kJ/mol CO2, equivalent to 1.4 GJ/ton.
Theoretically, ECC could operate within a range of 10 – 20 kJ/mol of CO2 captured, suggesting significant potential for future efficiency enhancements.
This research focuses on a mini pilot-scale carbon capture system containing an absorption column and an ECC cell, designed for the absorption and desorption of 15% vol. CO2.
The system integrates an absorption column with an ECC cell, employing Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPMED) for solvent regeneration and CO2 separation.
The project aims to achieve less than 2 GJ/ton electrical energy consumption, maintain an automated steady-state operation for 300 hours, and assess the impact of impurities on ECC performance, contributing to the advancement of sustainable CO2 capture technologies.
Main supervisor:
Philip Loldrup Fosbøl
Co- supervisor:
Xiaodong Liang