Solvent regeneration by microwave irradiation for a clean and intensified CO2 recovery process – WAVEINCORE

The development of models accounting for the local interacting phenomena between the MW fields and the transfer-reaction mechanisms taking place in the solvent phase will be one of the main objectives of the WAVEINCORE project. It must be emphasized that no modeling approach addressing the coupling between MW irradiation and reactive gas-liquid systems has been developed so far: the knowledge to acquire in this area is completely new. These models will be applied to the benchmark MEA (methylethanolamine) solution and a selection of last-generation solvents, for which thermophysical, dielectrical and thermodynamic properties will need to be fully characterized, accounting for their dependence on temperature and dissolved gas concentrations.
Kinetics models representative of the heating and gas desorption rates will be derived from batch regeneration experiments conducted under static or perfect mixing conditions of the liquid phase, using single-mode MW irradiation or a conventional conductive-convective heating mode. The presumed “non-heating” effect of the MW on reaction acceleration will be then especially inspected.
From the fundamental description of these local phenomena, the modeling approach will be further developed to describe MW regeneration of solvents at the macroscopic scale of a process operating in continuous mode. These models will serve as a theoretical basis helpful for the design of contactor prototypes to be integrated to a MW equipment, and which performances will be experimentally investigated at the lab-scale. CO2 desorption capacities, heating rates and energy consumptions will be studied as a function of the operating parameters and for different configurations of the solvent flowing in contact the gas phase.

The experimental information so obtained will be used to assess the validity of the developed models and prove the relevance of the proposed technologies.

. In the last part of the project, the up-scaling of the MW desorber process will be envisaged in the perspective of its implementation on the semi-industrial power to gas MINERVE platform. A technico-economical comparison with a conventional CO2 capture unit operating steam desorption will be made. This analysis will rely on optimized scenarios of the energy integration of the processes, and will establish the intensification potential of the MW solvent regeneration technology.
The WAVEINCORE consortium associates two academic partners of the GEPEA laboratory: IMT Atlantique and ONIRIS, as well as the French company SAIREM, developer and manufacturer of industrial MW equipments. The potential of application of such a technology is huge considering the needs for industrial decarbonization. The WAVEINCORE project will bring new knowledge to operate MW technologies in industrial applications still to be explored.

Not yet available.

Solvent-based processes for CO2 capture are recognized as some of the most ready-to-deploy capture technologies for the treatment of post-combustion emissions. Second-generation amine-scrubbing processes are now beginning to be deployed in large-scale demonstration projects which concern the power sector, cement industries and power to methane plants. Despite their technological maturity, the most advanced amine processes do not achieve a thermodynamic efficiency (ratio of minimum to actual work accounting for both CO2 separation and compression) higher than 50%. The actual energy requirement is at least 2500 kJ/kg CO2 for the whole process, and the capture cost attains $50–60/ton. Besides, the process presents other major drawbacks: amine solvents are corrosive, sensitive to thermal degradation and characterized with a low CO2 loading capacity.
The WAVEINCORE project aims to develop new desorption technologies for thermal regeneration of solvents, today considered as benchmark or promising for CO2 capture. These technologies are based on the concept of spent solvent heating by microwave (MW) irradiation. The MW desorption technologies to be developed have the potential for drastic reduction of heat consumptions and solvent losses by working at temperature below 100°C, with the possible use of renewable electricity.
The development of models accounting for the local interacting phenomena between the MW fields and the transfer-reaction mechanisms taking place in the solvent phase will be one of the main objectives of the WAVEINCORE project. It must be emphasized that no modeling approach addressing the coupling between MW irradiation and reactive gas-liquid systems has been developed so far: the knowledge to acquire in this area is completely new. These models will be applied to the benchmark MEA (methylethanolamine) solution and a selection of last-generation solvents, for which thermophysical, dielectrical and thermodynamic properties will need to be fully characterized, accounting for their dependence on temperature and dissolved gas concentrations.
Kinetics models representative of the heating and gas desorption rates will be derived from batch regeneration experiments conducted under static or perfect mixing conditions of the liquid phase, using single-mode MW irradiation. The presumed “non-heating” effect of the MW on reaction acceleration will be then especially inspected.
From the fundamental description of the local phenomena, the modeling approach will be further developed to describe at the macroscopic scale, a process for MW regeneration of solvents operated in continuous mode. These models will serve as a theoretical basis helpful for the design of contactor prototypes to be coupled to a multi-mode MW generator, and which performances will be experimentally investigated at the lab-scale. CO2 desorption capacities, heating rates and energy consumptions will be studied as a function of the operating parameters and for two configurations of the solvent flowing in contact with the gas phase. The experimental information so obtained will be used to assess the validity of the models and prove the relevance of the proposed technologies. In the last part of the project, the up-scaling of the MW desorber process will be envisaged in the perspective of its implementation on the semi-industrial power to gas MINERVE platform. A technico-economical comparison with a conventional CO2 capture unit operating steam desorption will be made. This analysis will rely on optimized scenarios of the energy integration of the processes, and will establish the intensification potential of the MW solvent regeneration technology.
The WAVEINCORE consortium associates two academic partners of the GEPEA laboratory: IMT Atlantique and ONIRIS, as well as the company SAIREM, developer and manufacturer of industrial MW equipments.