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Mass Balances on CO

2
Absorption/Stripping Process
Module 1: Material Balances on Absorption/Stripping Process
Module Author: Nick Schroeder & Jason M. Keith
Author Affiliation: Michigan Technological University

Course: Material and Energy Balances
Concepts Illustrated: Mole balances
Text Referenced: Felder and Rousseau

Problem Motivation: Earths atmosphere is composed of a variety of chemical compounds that
act as greenhouse gases. Two general types of greenhouse gases are those that naturally occur
and those synthesized by humans. Naturally occurring gases include methane, nitrous oxide,
water vapor, and carbon dioxide while gases used for aerosols are human made. Through these
gases sunlight passes undisturbed and enters our atmosphere freely. The sunlight than reflects off
of the earths surface back towards space in the form of infrared radiation. This infrared radiation
(heat) is than trapped when absorbed by greenhouse gases. For earth to maintain consistent
temperatures, a cycle involving the reemission of energy to space and the absorption of light
radiated by the sun must be maintained [1].

Carbon dioxide (CO
2
) is of primary concern due to growing global emissions in recent history.
Since the expansion of coal use during the industrial revolution and the expansion of petroleum
use during the 20
th
century, CO
2
emissions have risen steadily. This creates an increasing
dependency on fossil fuels to maintain societys standard of living which creates problems. The
combustion of carbon-based fossil fuels over the last couple hundred years has created a
significant increase in atmospheric CO
2
concentrations. CO
2
concentrations are regulated by a
number of processes which collectively are known as the carbon cycle, however, this cycle
only has the capacity to absorb a portion of total emissions which creates a positive imbalance.
This increase in CO
2
concentrations effectively increases global surface temperatures by
preventing the reemission of infrared radiation back into space, a concept known as climate
change [2]. Recent data collected in the South Pole showed that the average annual atmospheric
CO
2
concentrations increased 20.8% from 1958 to 2007 [3]. The dangers associated with climate
change are that no one knows how the Earth will respond to the changes. Increased temperatures
have the ability to affect the weather, sea levels, and land use patterns.

With growing populations and industrialization of countries the world energy use is steadily
increasing which has created an increase in dependency on fossil fuels. This dependency is due
to 86.2% of world energy produced being obtained from fossil fuels, although renewable energy
sources such as nuclear, hydroelectric, and other renewable are making major improvements [4].

Petroleum, natural gas, and coal all emit CO
2
; however, they do not contribute equal emissions
on an energy basis. Coal has higher contribution to CO
2
emissions than its energy contribution.
Petroleum which shows slightly higher CO
2
emissions than coal is primarily used for
transportation fuel which results in a large number of small CO
2
emission sources. Coal, which is
used for electricity generation, creates a unique scenario due to coal-fired power plants being a
large CO
2
emitter and having relatively few point sources. These point sources emit large
quantities of CO
2,
which provides an opportunity to capture CO
2
before it enters the atmosphere.
Emissions from coal fired power plants can be captured by an absorption/stripping process with a
circulating chemical solvent as shown in Figure 1.


Figure 1: Typical absorber/stripper flow sheet for CO
2
capture


The absorption/stripping system can be placed at the end of new or existing coal fired power
plants with NOx and SOx controls. Amine solvents are used since they react with CO
2
under
certain conditions. A lean solvent (low CO
2
concentration) is fed into the top of the absorber.
The solvent is counter currently contacted by flue gas containing CO
2
. The CO
2
chemically
reacts with the amine solvent and the treated gas exits the top of the absorber. This rich amine
(high CO
2
concentrations) leaves the bottom of the absorber and is preheated by a cross
exchanger before entering the top of the stripper. In the stripper, typically at a higher temperature
and pressure than the absorber, the reaction between the amine and CO
2
is reversed which
liberates CO
2
into a concentrated stream obtained at the top of the stripper. The lean solvent from
the stripper undergoes heat exchange and goes back to the absorber to repeat the process [5].












Problem Information

Example Problem Statement: An absorption/stripping process is operating at constant
temperature and pressure. This system is a proposed addition to a coal fired power plant in an
attempt to minimize the amount of CO
2
released by the power plant.
a. Determine the molar flow rates of the treated gas and the concentrated gas; n
TG
& n
cc

respectively. Use the ideal gas law, PV=nRT.
b. The lean amine used in this process is monoethanolamine (MEA); calculate the molar
flow rate of the amine running counter currently to flue gas entering the absorbance
column.
c. Use parts a&b to calculate the loading of the absorption column; Absorber loading =
(mol CO
2
/mol MEA).
d. Calculate the percent recovery of CO
2
for the absorption/stripping process.



Additional Information:

Gas Streams
Stream Variable
Actual Volumetric
Flow rate (m
3
/min) [CO2] T (K) P (atm)
Flue Gas n
feed
14.16 12.3 % 324.25 1.0054
Treated Gas n
TG
? 2.76 % 324.25 1.0054
Concentrated CO
2
n
cc
? 100 % 324.25 1.0054

Liquid Stream
Liquid Amine Density (lbm/gal) Flow rate (gal/min)
MMEA
(g/mol) [MEA]
MEA 8.69 7.8 61 32.50%


Part a. Calculating the molar flow rate of n
TG
and n
cc

Step 1- Using the ideal gas law we can calculate the molar flow rate of the entering flue gas
(Feed) by solving the equation in terms of moles. From the information provided we know that
P=1.0054 & T=324.25 K. This allows for us to solve the molar flow rate of the flue gas (Feed).

( ) ( )
PV
PV nRT n
RT
= =


3
feed
(1.0054atm)(14.16x10 L/min) mol
n = 535.2
L atm
min
(0.08205 )(324.25K)
mol K
=



Step 2- Using the molar flow rate of the flue gas we can calculate the total molar flow rate of the
CO
2
it contains. This is done by simply multiplying the molar composition fraction by the flue
gas (Feed).

2
% 12.30% CO = (Feed Stream)

2
CO 2 2
feed feed
12.30mol CO mol CO
n =n = 65.83
100mol feed min
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\ .


Step 3- From this we can calculate the total flow rate of the other gases (O.G.) in the feed stream
which are not absorbed by the liquid amine. This is done by subtracting the total CO
2
in the flue
gas from the total molar flow rate of the flue gas. (O.G. = other gases)

2
CO O.G.
feed feed feed
n =n -n


O.G.
feed
mol mol mol
n =535.2 -65.83 = 469.4
min min min

Step 4- Since we know that the other gases (O.G.) in the flue gas do not react with the liquid
amine, than we can use this information to calculate the flow rate of the treated gases.
First we know the concentration of the CO
2
in the treated gas and therefore we can calculate the
concentration of the other gases (O.G.) in the treated gas stream. This is done by subtracting the
CO
2
from 100% since these are the streams only two components.

Since,
2
%CO 2.76% = (n
TG
)

The
%O.G. (100% 2.76%) 97.24% = =


This means that the stream n
TG
is 97.24% other gases beside CO
2
. Therefore we can calculate the
total flow rate of n
TG
by dividing the molar flow rate of the other gases (O.G.) by the molar
composition fraction.

TG TG
O.G.
n n
97.24mol O.G.
n n *
100mol feed
=


TG
TG
O.G.
n
n
n
n =
0.9724


TG
n
mol
n = 482.7
min


Since the molar flow rate of n
cc
is equivalent to the molar flow rate of the CO
2
in this stream due
to 100% composition, we can calculate the flow rate of n
cc
simply by finding how much CO
2
was
absorbed into the liquid amine stream before escaping in n
TG
. For our sake, we will assume that
there is 100% CO
2
stripped from the liquid amine in the stripper column and this exits in the
concentrated CO
2
stream.

2
cc cc
CO
n n
n =n


Since,

2 2 2
cc TG
CO CO CO
n feed n
n =n -n


The n
cc
flow rate equals,

2 2
cc TG
CO CO
n feed n
n n n =


cc
O.G. 2
n
mol mol CO mol
n =65.83 - (482.7 - 469.4 )
min min min


cc
n
mol
n 52.53
min
=


Part b. Calculating the molar flow rate of the monoethanolamine (MEA)
Step 1- Now we will calculate the molar flow rate of the monoethanolamine (MEA). We know
the density of the Liquid amine and the volumetric flow rate. From this we can calculate the
mass flow rate of the stream by multiplying these two values together.

Mass flow-rate of Liquid Amine

m m
L.A.
lb lb gal
m 7.80 8.69 67.78
min gal min
= =


3 m
L.A.
m
lb 454.59grams grams
m 67.78 30.74x10
min 1lb min
= =


Step 2- Using the mass flow rate of the liquid amine we can calculate the mass flow rate of the
MEA by multiplying the mass flow rate by the molar composition fraction of MEA.

3 3 MEA MEA
MEA
Feed
32.5 grams grams grams
m =30.74x10 * =10x10
min 100 grams min


Step 3- From there we can divide the total mass flow rate of the MEA by its molar mass to
calculate the molar flow rate of the monoethanolamine (MEA).

3 MEA MEA MEA
MEA
MEA
grams 1mol mol
n =10x10 * =163.96
min 61grams min


Part c. Absorber Loading of Monoethanolamine
Now we can use the molar flow rate of the CO
2
exiting the stripper column; because this is the
value equivalent to the total CO
2
absorbed by the stripper, and the total molar flow rate of the
monoethanolamine to calculate the loading of the absorber column. This is done simply by
dividing the molar flow rate of the CO
2
by the total molar flow rate of the MEA.
2
2
2
CO
CO
CO M 2
MEA
MEA MEA
mol
( )
mol n
min
Absorber Loading= = =( )
mol
n mol
( )
min


CO2
MEA
mol
52.53
min
Absorber Loading= = 0.32
mol
163.96
min


Part d. Calculate the percent recovery of CO
2
for the absorption/stripping process
For calculating the percent recovery of the CO
2
you need two of the values previously obtained
in this problem. Divide the CO
2
contained in the concentrated stream by the total CO
2
contained
in the feed stream.

2
2
CO
cc
2 CO
feed
n 52.53
%CO Recovered= ?100= ?100= 79.8%
n 65.83
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Home Problem Statement:

An absorption/stripping process is operating at constant temperature and atmospheric pressure.
This system is a proposed addition to a coal fired power plant in an attempt to minimize the
amount of CO
2
released by the power plant. The process has a 90% recovery rate of CO
2
and it
utilizes a 32.5 weight% monoethanolamine solution as the lean amine absorbent in the system.
The absorption column used in the process has a loading of 0.17.

a. Determine the volumetric flow rate of n
cc
(concentrated CO
2
). (Hint: Use the ideal
gas law to calculate this value.)

b. Calculate the percent moles of CO
2
entering in the flue gas.

c. Calculate the percent moles of CO
2
and volumetric flow rate of the treated gas leaving
the absorption/stripping process.


Additional Information:

Gas Stream
Streams Variable
Actual Volumetric
Flow-rate (m
3
/min)
[CO2] T(K) P(atm)
Flue Gas
nfeed
22 ? 324.25 2
Treated Gas
nTG
? ? 324.25 2
Concentrated CO2
ncc
? ? 324.25 2

Liquid Stream
Liquid Amine Density (lbm/gal)
Flow rate (gal/min)
MMEA(g/mol) [MEA]
MEA
8.69 14.5 61 32.50%






References

[1] Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change, and Energy. Energy Information Administration, 2 Apr.
2004. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. <http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggccebro/chapter1.html>.

[2] "Data.GISS: GISS Surface Temperature Analysis: Analysis Graphs and Plots." National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Goddard Institute for Space Studies, 14 Mar. 2011. Web.
22 Mar. 2011. <http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/>.

[3] Keeling, R. F., S. C. Piper, and A. F. Bollenbacher. Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record
from the South Pole. May 2008. Raw data. University of California, La Jolla, California.

[4] United States. Energy Information Administration. Table 11.1 World Primary Energy
Production by Source, 1970-2007. Energy Information Administration, 9 Mar. 2010. Web. 31
Mar. 2011. <http://www.eia.doe.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/txt/ptb1101.html>.

[5] Dugas, Robert E. "Pilot Plant Study of Carbon Dioxide Capture by Aqueous
Monoethanolamine." Thesis. The University of Texas at Austin, 2006. Print.

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