(438e) Hydrodynamics and Mass Transfer of Amine Absorber According to Gravity Center Position

Flow maldistribution affects CO₂ removal efficiency of amine absorber for offshore operations such as LNG-FPSO (Floating Production Storage Off-loading). Under ship motion, flow maldistribution is caused by acceleration forces depending on the distance from the center of gravity (COG). Therefore, the position of COG is a significant factor in the offshore amine absorber.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the position of COG and CO₂ removal efficiency of the amine absorber. CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations were performed with the three dimensional (3D) geometry of a pilot-scale amine absorber having Mellapak 250.X (M250X) structured packing. A porous media Eulerian CFD model which includes three momentum forces (porous resistance, gas-liquid drag force, dispersion force), mass transfer and chemical reaction was applied to the CFD simulation in order to express characteristics of the M250X packing. The CFD model was validated with experimental data of a vertical standing case. Finally, three cases with different positions of COG were examined to find the effect of COG on the CO₂ removal efficiency of the amine absorber.