| Power plants that burn coal and natural gas to produce electricity generate more than half of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Separating the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted at these large sources of emission, followed by long term storage has been proposed as short to medium term solution to mitigate climate change. Implementation of this strategy called 'Carbon Capture and Storage' will allow the continued use of fossil fuels while simultaneously reduce our carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Technologies such as the alkanolamine absorption process, used to separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from gas mixtures already exist and are widely used in the natural gas industry. However, it is presently infeasible to apply them for Carbon Capture and Storage due to their relatively large energy consumption and the associated cost penalties. It is estimated that even with the use of state-of-the-art technology, the cost of electricity will increase by around 90%. The research presented in this thesis is focused on developing strategies to limit the increase in the cost of electricity due to implementation of Carbon Capture and Storage. Specifically, three different approaches have been explored as a part of this research effort. In the first, a process simulation software; ProMax has been used to optimize the alkanolamine absorption process to suit Carbon Capture application. The second approach involves exploring the idea of adding a co-solvent such as an alcohol to reduce the energy consumption of the carbon dioxide (CO2) removal process. Finally, a novel carbon dioxide (CO2) separation process involving a combined absorber/desorber unit has been proposed and demonstrated to work. Combining the absorber and stripper columns can aid in building a more compact process in addition to providing opportunities for heat integration and capital savings. |
