Emissions from coal fired power plants can be captured by an absorption/stripping process with a
circulating chemical solvent as shown in Figure 1.
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 CO2 released by the power plant.
a. Determine the molar flow rates of the treated gas and the concentrated gas; nTG & ncc
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 CO2/mol MEA).
d. Calculate the percent recovery of CO2 for the absorption/stripping process.
Additional Information:
Gas Streams
Stream
Flue Gas
Treated Gas
Concentrated CO2
Liquid Stream
Liquid Amine
MEA
Variable
nfeed
nTG
ncc
Actual Volumetric
Flow rate (m3/min)
14.16
?
?
[CO2]
12.3 %
2.76 %
100 %
T (K)
324.25
324.25
324.25
P (atm)
1.0054
1.0054
1.0054
n feed =
PV
)
RT
(1.0054atm)(14.16x103L/min)
mol
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
CO2 it contains. This is done by simply multiplying the molar composition fraction by the flue
gas (Feed).
%CO2 12.30%
(Feed Stream)
12.30 mol CO 2
mol CO 2
= 65.83
min
100 mol feed
2
n CO
feed =n feed
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 CO2 in the flue
gas from the total molar flow rate of the flue gas. (O.G. = other gases)
CO2
n O.G.
feed =n feed -n feed
mol
mol
mol
-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 CO2 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
CO2 from 100% since these are the streams only two components.
n O.G.
feed =535.2
Since,
%CO 2 2.76%
(nTG)
The
%O.G. (100% 2.76%) 97.24%
This means that the stream nTG is 97.24% other gases beside CO2. Therefore we can calculate the
total flow rate of nTG by dividing the molar flow rate of the other gases (O.G.) by the molar
composition fraction.
n
O.G.
n TG
n nTG *
n nTG =
n O.G.
n TG
0.9724
n nTG = 482.7
mol
min
Since the molar flow rate of ncc is equivalent to the molar flow rate of the CO2 in this stream due
to 100% composition, we can calculate the flow rate of ncc simply by finding how much CO2 was
absorbed into the liquid amine stream before escaping in nTG. For our sake, we will assume that
there is 100% CO2 stripped from the liquid amine in the stripper column and this exits in the
concentrated CO2 stream.
2
n ncc =n CO
n cc
Since,
CO 2
CO2
2
n CO
n cc =n feed -n n TG
n ncc =65.83
molO.G.
mol CO 2
mol
- (482.7
- 469.4
)
min
min
min
n ncc 52.53
mol
min
gal
lb
lb
8.69 m 67.78 m
min
gal
min
m L.A. 67.78
lb m 454.59grams
grams
30.74x103
min
1lb m
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.
m MEA =30.74x103
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).
n MEA =10x103
grams MEA
1 mol MEA
mol MEA
*
= 163.96
min
61 grams MEA
min
52.53
cc
100=
100= 79.8%
CO2
65.83
n feed
%CO 2 Recovered=
c. Calculate the percent moles of CO2 and volumetric flow rate of the treated gas leaving
the absorption/stripping process.
Additional Information:
Gas Stream
Actual Volumetric
Flow-rate (m3/min)
[CO2]
T(K)
P(atm)
nfeed
nTG
ncc
22
324.25
324.25
324.25
Density (lbm/gal)
8.69
Streams
Variable
Flue Gas
Treated Gas
Concentrated CO2
Liquid Stream
Liquid Amine
MEA
MMEA(g/mol) [MEA]
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]UnitedStates.EnergyInformationAdministration.Table11.1WorldPrimaryEnergy
ProductionbySource,19702007.EnergyInformationAdministration,9Mar.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.