(529f) Simultaneous Capture and Mineralization of Flue Gas Carbon Dioxide From a Coal-Fired Power Plant

Coal is the major source of fuel for generation of electricity in the United States and provides about 48.5% of the total electric power generated. Increasing anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) levels as a consequence of burning fossil fuels are raising concerns over global warming and climate change. The amount of CO2 produced from the combustion of fossil fuels in the United States will reach nearly 5.7 billion metric tons in 2009 according to EIA, with about 33% coming from the coal-fired electric power sector. As a result, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that are stable, safe, economically feasible, and environmentally acceptable are required to sustain the coal industry and to minimize CO2 emissions. Accelerated mineral carbonation (AMC) process for simultaneous capture and mineralization of flue gas CO2 was tested at one of the largest pulverized coal power plants in the US (Jim Bridger Power Plant, Point of Rocks, WY). The process consists of three vessels- a moisture reducing drum (MRD), a heater/humidifier, and a fluidized bed reactor (FBR). Tests were conducted to treat 200 SCFM of flue gas containing about 13% CO2 using a fixed quantity of fly ash generated at the plant. The MRD and the heater/humidifier vessels pretreat the flue gas. In the FBR, the AMC reaction was optimized by pressure, temperature, and humidity control. The flue gas was continuously monitored by an industrial grade multi-gas analyzer and enabled real-time recording of CO2, NOx, and SO2 concentrations. Fly ash particles were sampled from the reactor during each run and characterized by SEM-EDS and XRD and analyzed for carbon, sulfur and mercury content. The initial results suggest that significant amounts of flue gas CO2 can be instantaneously captured (without separation) and mineralized by the fly ash particles using the AMC process. The amount of CO2 captured and mineralized measured by flue gas CO2 measurements and fly ash carbonate analysis will be presented. A brief discussion on the integration of this process into an existing power plant will be included. The energy consumption of the process and preliminary economic analysis will also be discussed. (Proprietary Information: PCT/US/20090280046) Corresponding author's email: katta@uwyo.edu