(681c) Seamless integration of solvent-based carbon capture processes into natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants: rigorous modelling, optimization and operability analysis

Solvent-based carbon capture can potentially mitigate carbon emissions associated with fossil fuel consumptions. However, minimizing the penalties associated with the costs of carbon capture requires detailed understanding of the undelaying physical and chemical phenomena. The present study exploits a rigorous modelling methodology developed in our research group at Centre for Process Systems Engineering (CPSE), Imperial College and in collaboration with Process Systems Enterprise (PSE). The methodology benefits from rate-based distributed modelling of the underlying transport phenomena according to the so-called film theory in addition to accurate modelling of the thermodynamic properties based on statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT), which are implemented in the gPROMS platform.
Such advanced modelling technologies provided a compact and rigorous representation of the physical system, which was validated based on the experimental data from the UKCCSRC pilot plant at Sheffield for the case of monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent.
The validated model was then optimized based on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as the energy consumptions per ton of captured CO2, the solvent slippage per ton of captured CO2, and the required packing per ton of captured CO2 and so on.
Finally, the validated and optimized model was applied in order to study the dynamic behaviour of the carbon capture process and its interaction with the upstream natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plant, subject to dynamic changes in the load and the feed composition.