Design and study of a novel ammonia‐based CO₂ capture process with bipolar membrane electrodialysis

Abstract Aqueous ammonia is a promising absorbent in the field of post combustion CO 2 capture. However, the high volatilization of NH 3 results in a high energy requirement, as well as solid precipitation during the CO 2 regeneration process. A novel process was designed to reduce energy consumption and solve the problem. The bipolar membrane electrodialysis (EDBM) unit and CO 2 regeneration reactor were taken as the regeneration part. In the novel process, the bubble in the EDBM unit would be eliminated, and the regeneration of CO 2 and aqueous ammonia would be operated separately, which significantly reduced energy consumption and avoided the risk of precipitation during regeneration. According to the simulation and calculation results, the CO 2 regeneration energy consumption of the novel process using H 2 SO 4 for CO 2 regeneration is 39.0% lower than that of the conventional ammonia‐based process, which shows good energy saving potential. Moreover, the novel process will be more competitive as membrane technology develops.