(80a) Integrated operation of solvent-based carbon capture processes and coal-fired power plants: rigorous modelling, optimization and operability analysis

While coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the planet, its application for producing power is associated with large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Solvent-based carbon capture is a relatively mature technology which can potentially mitigate such emissions. Nevertheless, commercialization of CO₂ capture technologies will not be feasible without considering the operational characteristics of the upstream power plants. Power plants are subject to large variations in their electricity power loads for example due to hourly, daily and seasonal changes in the end-use demand, or local events and extreme weather conditions. Furthermore, introducing renewable energy resources will increase the fluctuations in the electricity supply due to variable natures of some renewable resources such as wind and solar. Therefore the main objective of the present research is to provide a holistic analysis of the seamless integration of the solvent-based carbon capture process with coal-fired power plants.

Nonetheless, minimizing the energy requirements for carbon capture requires in-depth understanding of the undelaying physical and chemical phenomena.  The present study exploits a rigorous modelling methodology developed in our research group at Centre for Process Systems Engineering (CPSE), Imperial College and in collaboration with Process Systems Enterprise (PSE). The methodology benefits from rate-based distributed modelling of the underlying transport phenomena according to the so-called two-film theory in addition to accurate modelling of the thermodynamic properties based on statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT), which are implemented in the gPROMS platform. Such advanced modelling technics provided a compact and rigorous representation of the physical system, which was validated using pilot plant data for the case of monoethanolamine (MEA) solvent. The last part of this research is devoted to integration of the solvent-based carbon capture plant with the upstream power plant. The main features of interest include the dynamic response of the capture plant to the electricity power load variations and its implication for the carbon capture energy requirements.