Optimization of VPSA processes to sequester CO2

Significance Statement

The incentive of this study is to find an efficient way to perform scale up designs of vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) processes without depending on any expertise through the real plant experiences. For the efficient scale up design of the VPSA processes, this paper introduces a novel scale up design technology based on mathematical modeling and optimization approach.

Before this work, there had been no scale up design approaches for cyclic adsorption processes (CAPs) such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and thermal swing adsorption (TSA) by using the dynamic simulation and optimization methods simultaneously. In order for this scale up technology to be successful, a novel CAP optimization algorithm must be used based on the accurate and robust dynamic simulation model.

For the scale up design, the determination of adsorption bed sizes is very important, and to determine the bed size – i.e., bed diameter and bed length – the interstitial gas velocity within the adsorption bed must be obtained accurately as reported in the former paper (Ko, 2016).

The state of the art PSA simulation modeling approach introduced in the former paper (Ko, 2016) makes it possible to calculate the correct interstitial gas velocity. In addition, to attain the bed sizes for the desired PSA scales more efficiently, this study employs the effective CAP optimization method explained in the paper of Ko et al. (2005). That is to say, this work introduces an efficient scale up design technology combining the CAP mathematical modeling (Ko, 2016) and the optimization approach (Ko et al., 2005). The adopted process of this work is a vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) process.

The simulation model of the former paper (Ko, 2016) was verified very well from laboratory scale (0.5Nm3/h) to pilot plant scale (100Nm3/h), and then the optimization results of the VPSA processes in this study are also validated very well from a pilot scale (10Nm3/h) to a large commercial scale (5000Nm3/h). Thus, it can be concluded that the efficient 10000 times scale up design is very successful not by depending on the experimental and real plant experiences but by using the mathematical optimization modeling approach.

[References]

Daeho Ko, Ranjani Siriwardane, and Lorenz T. Biegler, “Optimization of Pressure Swing Adsorption and Fractionated Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption Processes for CO2 Sequestration,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2005, 44(21), pp8084-8094, (October 12, 2005)

Daeho Ko, “Development of a Simulation Model for the Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption Process to Sequester Carbon Dioxide from Coalbed Methane,” Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2016, 55(4), pp1013–1023, Publication Date (Web): January 1, 2016.

Optimization of Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption VPSA  Processes To Sequester Carbon Dioxide from Coalbed Methane.. Advances in Engineering

 

About the author

Daeho Ko received his PhD in Chemical Engineering at Yonsei University in Korea, and worked for Carnegie Mellon University in USA as a post-doctoral fellow for about three and a half year. Then he worked for Samsung SDI as a senior researcher more than three years, and has been working for GS E&C, the EPC Company in Korea, as a general manager since December 2008.

His work area is dynamic simulation and optimization for various chemical process designs. His target processes are cyclic adsorption processes such as pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and thermal swing adsorption (TSA), fuel cell systems, lithium ion batteries, etc.

He has published 24 journal papers, and registered 11 patents. He has received a Six Sigma Olympiad Achievement award at Samsung SDI for the contributions to the development of dynamic simulation model for lithium ion battery systems. Recently he performed dynamic simulation works for real plant designs and operations at GS E&C, and has been carrying out R&D project to develop the design technology of coalbed methane (CBM) purification processes. 

Journal Reference

Daeho Ko. Optimization of Vacuum Pressure Swing Adsorption Processes To Sequester Carbon Dioxide from Coalbed Methane. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2016, 55 (33), pp 8967–8978. 

Global Engineering Division of GS Engineering & Construction Gran Seoul, 33, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03159, Korea

 

Go To Ind. Eng. Chem. Res.

 

 

Check Also

Computational Insights into High-Pressure Equilibria of Supercritical Gases in Ammonia - Advances in Engineering

Computational Insights into High-Pressure Equilibria of Supercritical Gases in Ammonia