CFD model of an experimental unit for CO2 adsorption from exhaust gases

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the largest anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) on the planet contributing to the global warming. Currently, there are three capture technologies of trapping CO2 from the flue gases: pre-combustion, post-combustion and oxy-fuel combustion. Among these, the post-combustion is widely popular as it can be retrofitted for a short to medium term without encountering any significant technology risks or changes. Zeolites, also known as molecular sieves, are widely used as a universal separation medium with series of advantages compared to the first-generation capture processes based on amine-based scrubbing. The goal of this study is to model a reversible adsorption column that prevents the emission of CO2 from exhaust gases into the atmosphere using the Faujasite 13X as an adsorbent. In addition, the dependence of the particle diameter, the column diameter and the temperature with the breaking time has been studied. The mathematical model described by Chatzopoulos & Varma (1995) has been followed, using the Langmuir isotherm to relate the concentration between solid and gas phase. The data used is from the vehicle Peugeot 307 gasoline model to calculate the difference in CO2 emissions with and without the adsorption columns. In addition, a graphic representation of the CO2 concentration within the column has been made in both phases and a 3D sketch of the boot with the columns incorporated