Process design and adsorbent screening of VSA and exchanger type VTSA for flue gas CO2 capture

Carbon capture, as a core technology for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, the greatest challenge is the balance between separation performance and energy consumption. This study seeks to evaluate and screen the separation performance and energy consumption of four typical adsorbents (13X, Mg-MOF-74, activated carbon, and Lewatit VP OV 1065) in vacuum temperature swing adsorption (VTSA) and vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) through optimization approach, which will support in-depth research and decision-making on adsorption processes. A non-isothermal non-adiabatic numerical model was carried out to describe a novel 4-bed 10-step VTSA cycle developed on an exchange type adsorption unit (ETAU), and the model was validated by binary breakthrough and temperature swing experiments. A 4-bed 10-step VSA cycle was in turn established and investigated. Parametric analysis of the two cycles was performed by varying the operating variables including feed gas flow rate, recycle time, and purge-to-feed ratio. Process optimization of the multiplicative fraction evaluation function, simultaneously considering purity, recovery, and productivity, was achieved using a dual convergence algorithm. Results showed that all four adsorbents could achieve more than 90 % purity and recovery on the VTSA process employing the ETAU for post-combustion carbon capture, and the separation performance was substantially superior to that of the VSA cycle. Mg-MOF-74 obtained a CO2 product with 97.90 % purity, 98.48 % recovery, and 5.48 mol/kgads/hr productivity at a desorption temperature of 383.15 K; it has a specific heat consumption of 1.45 GJth/ton and a specific power consumption of 0.55 GJel/ton. The total energy consumption of 13X was slightly lower than that of amine adsorbents, giving 95.00 % purity, 97.60 % recovery, and 1.91 mol/kgads/hr productivity. Relatively low desorption temperature is expected to introduce ultra-low-grade waste heat for partial heat source substitution, contributing to the energy sustainability of adsorption carbon capture technology.