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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Catalytic Removal of Oxygen and Pollutants in Exhaust Gases from Pressurized Oxy-Combustors

The primary goal of this project was to develop and validate advanced catalytic materials and systems for purifying the flue gas generated from pressurized oxy-combustors in an effort to achieve the purity specifications of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) streams required by the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) for application in enhanced oil recovery. The technology has shown great potential for improving energy efficiency, simplifying process complexity, and lowering costs compared with current state-of-the-art oxy-combustion flue gas purification technologies. Laboratory studies were conducted for the development, characterization, and screening of metal catalysts for residual oxygen (O 2 ) reduction with methane (CH 4 ) and multifunctional carbon catalysts for combined nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulfur oxides (SO x ), and mercury (Hg) removal. A bench-scale reverse-flow fixed-bed (RFFB) reactor and a trickle-bed direct-contact cooler (DCC) reactor capable of treating 15 standard liters per min of pressurized oxy-combustion flue gas were fabricated and tested with both a simulated flue gas in the laboratory and a slipstream of actual flue gas at a 100 kW th Staged, Pressurized Oxy-Combustion (SPOC) pilot facility. Process simulation and techno-economic studies were performed to evaluate the energy efficiency and cost of the developed catalytic flue gas purification process integrated into a conceptual 550-MWe SPOC power plant. The goal and objectives of the project have been successfully accomplished. A cobalt-manganese (CoMn) oxide catalyst was developed and demonstrated in the bench-scale RFFB reactor in either a reverse-flow or one-direction flow mode of operation that met the success criterion of performance for residual O 2 reduction. A carbon catalyst was developed and demonstrated in the bench-scale DCC reactor that met the success criterion of performance for combined NO x /SO x /Hg removal. Slipstream testing of the integrated DCC-RFFB system at the SPOC pilot facility demonstrated stable operation and verified the superior performance obtained in the laboratory. The techno-economic analysis showed that a 550-MWe SPOC plant integrated with the catalytic flue gas purification process would result in costs of electricity of $\$$96.94/MWh and $\$$80.27/MWh in two assessed cases compared with $\$$91.07/MWh reported for the USDOE’s Current Technology Case, which generated only a partially pure CO 2 stream. On the basis of the results and findings from this project, scale-up studies of materials production and system demonstration and optimization studies of reactors and processes are recommended at the next stage of technology development.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2017

W.A. Parish Post Combustion CO 2 Capture and Sequestration Project Final Public Design Report

The Petra Nova Project is a commercial scale post-combustion carbon dioxide capture project that is being developed by a joint venture between NRG Energy (NRG) and JX Nippon Oil and Gas Exploration (JX). The project is designed to separate and capture carbon dioxide from an existing coal-fired unit's flue gas slipstream at NRG's W.A. Parish Generation Station located southwest of Houston, Texas. The captured carbon dioxide will be transported by pipeline and injected into the West Ranch oil field to boost oil production. The project, which is partially funded by financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy will use Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of America, Inc.'s Kansai Mitsubishi Carbon Dioxide Recovery (KM-CDR(R)) advanced amine-based carbon dioxide absorption technology to treat and capture at least 90% of the carbon dioxide from a 240 megawatt equivalent flue gas slipstream off of Unit 8 at W.A. Parish. The project will capture approximately 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide per day or 1.5 million tons per year that Unit 8 would otherwise emit, representing the largest commercial scale deployment of post-combustion carbon dioxide capture at a coal power plant to date. The joint venture issued full notice to proceed in July 2014 and when complete, the project is expected to be the world's largest post-combustion carbon dioxide capture facility on an existing coal plant. The detailed engineering is sufficiently complete to prepare and issue the Final Public Design Report.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Topical Report – Findings on Subtask 2.7 – Wet ESP and Aerosol Testing at Coal Creek Station

Growing concerns over the impact of CO 2 emissions from combustion sources on global climate change have prompted numerous research and development projects aimed at developing cost-effective technologies for CO 2 capture. One family of technologies being demonstrated at pilot and full scale globally is postcombustion carbon capture (PCCC) systems that employ amine-based solvents. The captured CO 2 can be compressed and permanently stored underground or used for enhanced oil recovery. The proximity of North Dakota’s lignite-fired fleet of power plants to potential CO 2 storage options creates a unique atmosphere for PCCC within the state. However, the unique components present in lignite flue gas present a challenge for large-scale PCCC at North Dakota power plants by contributing to aerosol formation. Aerosols can negatively impact the long-term performance of amine-based solvents for CO 2 capture. Amine-based solvents are volatile, and flue gas particulate provides nucleation sites where amine vapors can condense as aerosols. Because aerosols cannot be easily captured at the column outlet using conventional technologies, the amine-laden aerosols escape the system and lead to accelerated solvent losses. Moreover, particulate components can chemically react with amines to form degradation products that can permanently deactivate the amine, cause fouling, and lead to hazardous emissions. Many of the elements that have been shown to catalyze solvent degradation are present in lignite coals and can exacerbate solvent replacement economics. Understanding this issue is critical to the implementation of solvent-based CO 2 capture systems as applied to lignite-fired generation systems. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) designed and carried out this project to fully characterize aerosol behavior with various control technologies installed to better optimize aerosol mitigation technology for CO 2 capture. To meet the goal of this project, the following objectives were identified: Determine the effectiveness of a wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) on mitigating formation of problematic aerosols at Great River Energy’s Coal Creek Station, upstream of the PCCC system. Determine the effectiveness of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) proprietary amine emission reduction unit (AERU) as a postcapture solvent recovery system for reducing aerosol emissions and extending solvent life downstream of the PCCC system. Determine the impact of aerosols on the efficiency and degradation products of both commercial and advanced solvents within the PCCC system. Work was conducted at Coal Creek Station Unit 1 using a slipstream of flue gas from the outlet of the plant’s flue gas desulfurization (FGD) unit. Flue gas was routed through a pilot-scale FGD unit to remove SO 2 to very low levels (~1 ppm) and then through a direct contact cooler (DCC) to further cool the gas and to remove moisture. The gas exiting the DCC was then optionally routed through a WESP before passing to the CO 2 absorber columns. The MHI solvent was used to scrub CO 2 from the slipstream through a set of two absorber columns. The rich solvent was regenerated in a stripper column by heating to drive off captured CO 2 . Flue gas exiting the absorber column was routed to MHI’s proprietary AERU to recover entrained solvent. The system operated using a catch-and-release method where the CO 2 was separated to provide data on the process, but the captured CO 2 was released back into the host site stack. Particulate was measured, collected, and analyzed from multiple locations throughout the pilot-scale system. Unlike the performance observed in prior work, the inlet FGD and DCC did not remove significant particulate matter from the flue gas. This appears to be due to a difference in the nature of the particulate. The DCC seemed to increase particulate size and count, most likely owing to water condensing onto the surfaces of fly ash particles. When the WESP was operated, it achieved >95% particulate capture. Very little particulate matter or indications of solvent were detected at the AERU outlet. When operating with advanced KS 21 solvent, the particulate material at the AERU outlet was even further decreased. Solvent analysis showed that some species derived from flue gas and ash were slowly concentrating in the solvent over the duration of the test. The levels observed were reported to be within expected ranges and were not of concern to MHI. A high-level techno-economic assessment of installing CO 2 capture at Coal Creek Station suggested that, when using a standard monoethanolamine (MEA)-based solution with simple heat integration, the energy penalty to net generation would be 34%. The bulk of this was due to steam losses for regenerating solvent, followed by parasitic electrical demand for CO 2 compression and then by increased parasitic load for pushing flue gas through the absorber column. These demands could be decreased with a more advanced solvent that exhibits lower heat of regeneration and lower pressure drop than does a simple MEA solution. Further energy could be saved with more thorough heat integration to recover useful energy from the steam used for solvent regeneration. Installing a WESP was predicted to increase the cost of electricity by nearly $5/MWh. This would become cost-effective if solvent losses were roughly 10 times the baseline estimate when not using a WESP but could be returned to baseline by installing the WESP. Piping CO 2 for storage in more favorable geology could help with carbon capture and storage economics. Although storing off-site would necessitate construction of a CO 2 transport pipeline, the cost of this pipeline might be more than offset by reducing the number of wells required, the depths of the wells required, and the electrical demand for the CO 2 compressor. Additional factors that favor off-site storage costs include smaller expected CO 2 plume sizes, which translates to less monitoring and fewer landowner agreements. More detailed assessment of the specific geology in the region under and around Coal Creek Station would be needed to accurately assess the costs and benefits of different storage site options. This subtask was cofunded through the Energy & Environmental Research Center–U.S. Department of Energy Joint Program on Research and Development for Fossil Energy-Related Resources Cooperative Agreement No. DE-FE0024233. Nonfederal funding was provided by the North Dakota Industrial Commission.

Strege, Joshua↗
DOE OSTI2022

Passive and no-loss weather cap for protection of wind induced downdraft in sensitive exhaust systems

The invention provides a device for removing heat from a building, the device having: a first tubular member defining a first cavity; a second tubular member defining a second cavity, whereby said second tubular member resides within the first cavity and is coaxial to the first tubular member; and a double conic body coaxially residing in the first cavity and coaxially positioned with the second tubular member.Also provided is a method for removing heat from a building, the method having the steps of: directing heat-containing exhaust emanating from a flue, defining a first diameter, to a passageway received by the flue, whereby the passageway defines a longitudinal axis and a periphery circumscribing the axis; forming the directed exhaust into a slipstream, wherein the slipstream generally travels along the longitudinal axis; and routing precipitation entering the passageway to the periphery.

Lisowski, Darius D.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Reimagining Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning for New Manufactured Homes

Manufactured homes represent one of the most affordable paths to home ownership for American households, but minimum-efficiency equipment and poor-quality home installation can lead to excess energy use and high operating costs. Slipstream, with partners from the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), Northwest Energy Works, and Washington State University, identified and tested manufactured home HVAC innovations targeted for new construction offering the most promising mix of improved energy performance and likelihood of industry uptake.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2017

An automated lab-scale flue gas permeation membrane testing system at the National Carbon Capture Center

A constant pressure, mixed gas permeation testing skid was deployed at the National Carbon Capture Center to test membrane performance when continuously exposed to slipstream post-combustion flue gas. Small, laboratory scale membranes can be loaded for testing and the degree of automation allowed the skid to be run unattended for several weeks at a time. In this report, we share our experience in commissioning the skid and quantifying CO 2 , N 2 and O 2 permeances of several membranes during the first round of testing. Dense films of polydimethylsiloxane and poly(bistrifluoroethoxyphosphazene) were tested with flue gas for approximately 20 h each. Here, in addition, we successfully tested four thin film composite hollow fiber membranes made by a dip coating process, consisting of porous Torlon hollow fibers coated with a selective layer of poly(bistrifluoroethoxyphosphazene) or its mixed matrix with a metal organic framework SIFSIX-Cu-2i filler particles. Initial results suggest the polydimethylsiloxane showed comparable results to the literature data, but the coated hollow fiber membranes have lower CO 2 permeances relative to N 2 or O 2 permeances compared to their performance under idealized, dry, contaminant-free mixed gas conditions. While quantification of H 2 O permeance was performed, we found it was affected by concentration polarization even with small membrane area and a low stage cut.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Development and Validation of Smart Building Technology Modules for Academic and Professional Education (Final Technical Report)

Smart building technologies can improve building energy efficiency and resilience, reduce carbon emissions, and provide load flexibility to the grid. However, in both college curricula and building professionals’ continuing education, there is a lack of systematic instruction on smart building technologies. Slipstream, partnering with Texas A&M University (TAMU), the Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE), and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), developed a semester-long smart building curriculum for college students and 16 training videos for building professionals and the general public. The education and training cover the drivers and benefits of smart building technologies, key building energy systems, the latest sensor technologies and IoT devices, and focus on topics related to smart building controls (i.e., energy management information systems, smart building control platforms, cybersecurity, grid-interactive-efficient buildings [GEBs], smart building control methods, and occupant-centric control). The smart building curriculum for college students was taught at TAMU in the Spring semester of 2024 as part of the validation process. Student feedback was collected and summarized in a validation report by TAMU. The curriculum material was also reviewed by SBSE faculty who are interested in teaching smart building technology-related courses. Suggestions on revisions and better adoption of the materials by other faculty across the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) domains were compiled in a distinct validation report by SBSE. The SBSE validation report was used to create structured subsets of the curriculum material for adoption at different levels in different sub-disciplines. These subsets are categorized and offered on the SBSE website (https://www.sbse.org/courses/Smart-Building-Technologies). The 16 training videos for building professionals and the general public were previewed by 17 industry experts, and feedback and suggested changes were incorporated into the final version of these videos. The videos are organized into a smart building technology training course and published on the Whole Building Design Guide website (https://www.wbdg.org/ce/doe/bto/sbtt), which is hosted by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). Project team members created marketing materials to promote the awareness of these free, publicly available education and training resources. Outreach and marketing activities included creating short promotional videos, building project webpages, making project announcements on social media, conducting an email campaign, and directly reaching out to faculties and building professionals. This report describes the project approach, provides outlines of the training materials, along with links to resources, and identifies lessons learned in creating the content. We also suggest ways to scale the instruction of smart building concepts to empower the workforce to accelerate the adoption of smart building technologies in the real world.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Kraft black liquor concentration with graphene oxide membranes: Process simulations and technoeconomic analysis

Abstract Black liquor (BL) dewatering by multi‐effect evaporation in the kraft papermaking process is highly energy‐intensive. It was previously shown that graphene oxide (GO) nanofiltration membranes can remove lignin, other organics, and inorganic salts from BL while exhibiting stability in caustic BL conditions. Here, we design and simulate several candidate dewatering processes and evaluate their technoeconomic characteristics. All processes concentrate BL from 15 to 30 wt% solutes while producing aqueous permeate. Two process options were analyzed—option A including “last‐mile” permeate treatment to reduce solutes to 0.2 wt%, and option B excluding this treatment and producing a 3–4 wt% solutes stream. These processes were simulated in custom‐built ASPEN Plus flowsheets interfaced with Microsoft Excel and MATLAB. All processes deliver large (>40%) energy savings. Detailed technoeconomic analysis showed that option A processes are profitable in mills equipped with condensing turbines, but unprofitable with only purchased fuel savings. Option B processes are profitable in both situations, but require the caustic permeate to be utilized in other kraft process units. They are also profitable with electricity generation when operated at smaller scales matching the requirements of other process units. Monte‐Carlo sensitivity analysis shows that Option A can yield median 20‐year NPVs up to ~$10MM and Option B up to ~$25MM. Overall, GO membrane‐based BL dewatering is economically promising, assuming successful slipstream piloting and scale‐up campaigns. It would have immediate sustainability benefits from large energy savings, and broader implications for biorefinery processes due to the ability to fractionate biomass feedstock components under harsh conditions.

Wang, Zhongzhen↗
DOE OSTI2016

Response characteristics of stable mixed-potential NH 3 sensors in diesel engine exhaust

Here, a mixed-potential, electrochemical sensor platform is extended to NH 3 sensing by the introduction of a new gold alloy working electrode. A planar, pre-commercial NH 3 sensor utilized LANL’s controlled interface approach, and a Pd-Au alloy working electrode was tested in exhaust of a GM 1.9 L diesel engine downstream of a diesel oxidation catalyst through a slipstream arrangement. A fraction of the exhaust was pulled across the sensor with a pump at 20 L/min. In order to simulate NH 3 slip inside of a full SCR emissions control system, NH 3 was injected immediately upstream of the sensor using a calibrated mass flow controller. The sensor response quantitatively tracked the NH 3 as measured via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyzer. A calibration curve was obtained in the exhaust from an ammonia staircase response with the engine running at steady-state engine conditions resulting in low background concentrations of NO x and HC (<20 ppm) during calibration. Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) switching and sweeps were used to evaluate the NH 3 sensor response under different amounts of total background NO x . The calibration curve was used to directly compare the [NH 3 ] calculated from sensor response to the gas phase composition measured via FTIR. In general, there was excellent quantitative agreement between the sensor response and the actual NH 3 in the exhaust gas, and fast response time such that transients (<5 ppm) could be easily discerned from baseline. A LANL pre-commercial NO x sensor was tested simultaneously with the NH 3 sensor and the extent of cross-sensitivity between the two sensors will be discussed.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2017

Pilot testing of a heat integrated 0.7 MWe CO 2 capture system with two-stage air-stripping: Amine degradation and metal accumulation

An advanced 0.7 MWe small pilot coal-fired post-combustion CO 2 capture system with heat integration combined with two-stage stripping was tested here on a slipstream of flue gas by the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (UKy-CAER). Evaluation of solvent degradation products was performed to determine the impact of oxygen exposure due to incorporation of the secondary air stripper into the conventional amine absorber/stripper system. The overall degradation rates and products observed during the testing campaign were comparable to previously published reports using 30% monoethanolamine (MEA) as the baseline/commissioning solvent. The rates of heat stable salt accumulation and amine degradation were similar to those from conventional CO 2 capture systems using MEA. Metal accumulation as the result of material corrosion inside the system from an improperly constructed material was observed. Finally, the impact of the secondary air stripper appears negligible relative to other published MEA campaigns tested at similar flue gas conditions and system operating hours.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Lab-scaled performance evaluation of novel water-lean solvents for post combustion CO 2 capture

Here, this work focuses on demonstrating the energetic performance and operational reliability in a continuous system of RTI's water-lean solvents for post-combustion CO 2 capture applications. RTI's Non-Aqueous Solvent, NAS-1A was subjected to 100 h of continuous, CO 2 capture and regeneration operation using a Lab-scale Gas Absorption System (LsGAS) while the CO 2 capture efficiency, mass balance, and total energy inputs were monitored. Throughout the test period, NAS-1A demonstrated stable operation with 90% CO 2 capture while requiring about 15% lower total energy input for solvent regeneration compared to 30 wt% monoethanolamine (MEA) solution. The use of a slipstream of CO 2 -rich solvent from the absorber sump reduced the regenerated CO 2 temperature before the gas was further cooled by the overhead condenser at the top of the desorber. The rich-split setup combined with a wash section may be an effective approach to remove water and solvent vapor from the regenerated CO 2 as well as to recover heat at the top of the desorber. NAS-1B was later developed and included a modifier component that lowers the heat of CO 2 absorption and reduces the vapor pressure of the amine component. The total energy inputs for 90% CO 2 capture with NAS-1B was found to be 25% less than that of the MEA. A gas chromatograph was used to monitor the amine concentration in the gas leaving the absorber wash section. It was found that under similar operating conditions, the presence of the modifier in NAS-1B reduces the amine in the absorber off-gas from 143 ppm in NAS-1A to 20 ppm.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2012

Performance of solid oxide fuel cells operated with coal syngas provided directly from a gasification process

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are presently being developed for gasification integrated power plants that generate electricity from coal at 50+% efficiency. The interaction of trace metals in coal syngas with the Ni-based SOFC anodes is being investigated through thermodynamic analyses and in laboratory experiments, but direct test data from coal syngas exposure are sparsely available. This research effort evaluates the significance of SOFC performance losses associated with exposure of a SOFC anode to direct coal syngas. SOFC specimen of industrially relevant composition are operated in a unique mobile test skid that was deployed to the research gasifier at the National Carbon Capture Center (NCCC) in Wilsonville, AL. The mobile test skid interfaces with a gasifier slipstream to deliver hot syngas (up to 300°C) directly to a parallel array of 12 button cell specimen, each of which possesses an active area of approximately 2 cm2. During the 500 hour test period, all twelve cells were monitored for performance at four discrete operating current densities, and all cells maintained contact with a data acquisition system. Of these twelve, nine demonstrated good performance throughout the test, while three of the cells were partially compromised. Degradation associated with the properly functioning cells was attributed to syngas exposure and trace material attack on the anode structure that was accelerated at increasing current densities. Cells that were operated at 0 and 125 mA/cm² degraded at 9.1 and 10.7% per 1000 hours, respectively, while cells operated at 250 and 375 mA/cm² degraded at 18.9 and 16.2% per 1000 hours, respectively. Post-trial spectroscopic analysis of the anodes showed carbon, sulfur, and phosphorus deposits; no secondary Ni-metal phases were found.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗
DOE OSTI2019

Catalytic Hot-Gas Filtration with a Supported Heteropolyacid Catalyst for Preconditioning Biomass Pyrolysis Vapors

During ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) of biomass, the separation of reactive char and alkali/alkaline particulates from biomass pyrolysis vapors by hot-gas filtration (HGF) leads to improved vapor stability and quality. HGF in tandem with chemical tailoring (e.g., partial deoxygenation) of the clean pyrolysis vapors, denoted as catalytic hot-gas filtration (CHGF), has the potential to further improve vapor composition by removing reactive oxygen moieties and protect downstream upgrading catalysts from fouling. Downstream upgrading refers to both vapor phase upgrading (e.g., ex situ CFP) and condensed phase upgrading (e.g., hydrotreating). Consequently, CHGF (as a single unit operation) was evaluated for preconditioning pyrolysis vapors for downstream upgrading processes. In order to understand the effective operating conditions that successfully filter and partially deoxygenate pyrolysis vapors, a titania-supported molybdenum heteropolyacid (Mo-HPA/TiO 2 ) catalyst was studied for use in CHGF. Here, pine pyrolysis vapors were generated in a small pilot-scale pyrolyzer and transferred to a CHGF unit via a continuous-flow slipstream. In the CHGF unit, the pyrolysis vapors were filtered and upgraded over a packed Mo-HPA/TiO 2 catalyst bed. Real-time monitoring and identification of the products formed were achieved by molecular beam mass spectrometry. The results showed that under a hydrogen-rich environment, the pine vapors were partially deoxygenated and alkylated over the Mo-HPA/TiO 2 catalyst. Reactivity studies revealed that an increase in hydrogen concentration and a reduction in weight-hourly space velocity enhanced deoxygenation and alkylation. Time-on-stream (TOS) studies showed stable product formation up to 1 h with little change in catalyst activity. Additionally, the liquid product was collected using a custom fractional condensation unit (built in-house) and analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry to confirm that the product was partially deoxygenated and alkylated. The combination of CHGF and fractional condensation allowed for chemical and physical removal of both foulant and value-added compounds (e.g., phenols, alkylphenols, methoxyphenols, cyclopentenones) for additional enhancement of downstream upgrading processes. The pre- and postreaction catalysts were characterized using temperature-programmed desorption, N 2 physisorption, and elemental analysis with results indicating some catalyst coking. A hydrogen-based catalyst regeneration procedure restored the reacted catalyst activity to that of fresh Mo-HPA/TiO 2 .

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Pilot testing of CO2 capture from a coal-fired power plant—Part 2: Results from 1-MWe pilot tests

Abstract Using a 1-MWe slipstream pilot plant, solid-sorbent-based post-combustion CO2 capture was tested at a coal-fired power plant. Results from pilot testing were used to develop a preliminary full-scale commercial design. The sorbent selected for pilot-scale evaluation during this project consisted of an ion-exchange resin that incorporated amines covalently bonded to the substrate. A unique temperature-swing-absorption (TSA) process was developed that incorporated a three-stage fluidized-bed adsorber integrated with a single-stage fluidized-bed regenerator. Overall, following start-up and commissioning challenges that are often associated with first-of-a-kind pilots, the pilot plant operated as designed and expected, with a few key exceptions. The two primary exceptions were associated with: (i) handling characteristics of the sorbent, which were sufficiently different at operating temperature than at ambient temperature when design specifications were established with lab-scale testing; and (ii) CO2 adsorption in the transport line between the regenerator and adsorber that preloaded the sorbent with CO2 prior to entering the adsorber. Results from the pilot programme demonstrate that solid-sorbent-based post-combustion capture can be utilized to achieve 90% CO2 capture from coal-fired power plants.

Sjostrom, Sharon↗
DOE OSTI2018

Quantum Cascade Laser Infrared Spectroscopy for Online Monitoring of Hydroxylamine Nitrate

We describe a new approach for high sensitivity and real-time online measurements to monitor the kinetics in the processing of nuclear materials and other chemical reactions. Mid infrared (Mid-IR) quantum cascade laser (QCL) high-resolution spectroscopy was used for rapid and continuous sampling of nitrates in aqueous and organic reactive systems, using pattern recognition analysis and high sensitivity to detect and identify chemical species. In this standoff or off-set method, the collection of a sample for analysis is not required. To perform the analysis, a flow cell was used for in situ sampling of a liquid slipstream. A prototype was designed based on attenuated total reflection (ATR) coupled with the QCL beam to detect and identify chemical changes and be deployed in hostile environments, either radiological or chemical. The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) at 3 σ for hydroxylamine nitrate ranged from 0.3 to 3 and from 3.5 to 10 g·L −1 , respectively, for the nitrate system at three peaks with wavelengths between 3.8 and 9.8 μ m.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Modeling, Design, and Testing of a Novel Biphasic Solvent-Enabled Absorption System for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture

A novel absorption process enabled by a new class of biphasic solvents for post-combustion carbon capture (BiCAP) is presently being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The new biphasic solvents are water-lean solvent blends that develop dual liquid phases with the absorbed CO2 highly enriched in one of the phases. These solvents are superior in CO2 capacity and have high thermal and oxidative stability compared to MEA. The BiCAP technology features a unique process configuration of multi-stage CO2 absorption and liquid–liquid phase separation during CO2 absorption, allowing continual separation and removal of the CO2-enriched liquid phase for maintaining low solvent viscosity and a fast absorption rate. A 40 kWe-scale skid has recently been constructed at the Abbott Power Plant in Champaign, IL, to test the BiCAP solvent in continuous operation with a slipstream of real post-combustion flue gas. Along with improvements in the stripping configuration including cold feed bypass, the process is expected to achieve a minimum reboiler duty of 2,210 kJ/kg CO2 captured at a stripper operating pressure of 6 bar.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Pyrolysis Oil Stabilization: Hot-Gas Filtration (CRADA Final Report)

The hypothesis that was tested in this task was that separation of char, with its associated mineral matter from pyrolysis vapors before condensation, will lead to improved oil quality and stability with respect to storage and transportation. The metric used to evaluate stability in this case was a 10-fold reduction in the rate of increase of viscosity as determined by ASTM D445 (the accelerated aging test). The primary unit operation that was investigated for this purpose was hot-gas filtration. A custom-built heated candle filter system was fabricated by the Pall Corporation and furnished to NREL for this test campaign. This system consisted of a candle filter element in a containment vessel surrounded by heating elements on the external surface of the vessel. The filter element and housing were interfaced to NREL’s existing 0.5 MTD pyrolysis Process Development Unit (PDU). For these tests the pyrolysis reactor of the PDU was operated in the entrained-flow mode. The HGF test stand was installed on a slipstream from the PDU so that both hot-gas filtered oil and bio-oil that was not hot-gas filtered could be collected for purposes of comparison. Two filter elements from Pall were tested: 1) porous stainless steel (PSS) sintered metal powder; 2) sintered ceramic powder. An extremely sophisticated bio-oil condensation and collection system was designed and fabricated at NREL and interfaced to the filter unit.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2012

Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture by a Nanoporous, Superhydrophobic Membrane Contactor Process

This report summarizes progress made during Phase I and Phase II of the project: "Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture by a Nanoporous, Superhydrophobic Membrane Contactor Process," under contract DE-FE-0000646. The objective of this project is to develop a practical and cost effective technology for CO 2 separation and capture for pre-combustion coal-based gasification plants using a membrane contactor/solvent absorption process. The goals of this technology development project are to separate and capture at least 90% of the CO 2 from Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants with less than 10% increase in the cost of energy services. Unlike conventional gas separation membranes, the membrane contactor is a novel gas separation process based on the gas/liquid membrane concept. The membrane contactor is an advanced mass transfer device that operates with liquid on one side of the membrane and gas on the other. The membrane contactor can operate with pressures that are almost the same on both sides of the membrane, whereas the gas separation membranes use the differential pressure across the membrane as driving force for separation. The driving force for separation for the membrane contactor process is the chemical potential difference of CO 2 in the gas phase and in the absorption liquid. This process is thus easily tailored to suit the needs for pre-combustion separation and capture of CO 2 . Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and PoroGen Corporation (PGC) have developed a novel hollow fiber membrane technology that is based on chemically and thermally resistant commercial engineered polymer poly(ether ether ketone) or PEEK. The PEEK membrane material used in the membrane contactor during this technology development program is a high temperature engineered plastic that is virtually non-destructible under the operating conditions encountered in typical gas absorption applications. It can withstand contact with most of the common treating solvents. GTI and PGC have developed a nanoporous and superhydrophobic PEEK-based hollow fiber membrane contactor tailored for the membrane contactor/solvent absorption application for syngas cleanup. The membrane contactor modules were scaled up to 8-inch diameter commercial size modules. We have performing extensive laboratory and bench testing using pure gases, simulated water-gas-shifted (WGS) syngas stream, and a slipstream from a gasification derived syngas from GTI's Flex-Fuel Test Facility (FFTF) gasification plant under commercially relevant conditions. The team have also carried out an engineering and economic analysis of the membrane contactor process to evaluate the economics of this technology and its commercial potential. Our test results have shown that 90% CO 2 capture can be achieved with several physical solvents such as water and chilled methanol. The rate of CO 2 removal by the membrane contactor is in the range of 1.5 to 2.0 kg/m 2 /hr depending on the operating pressures and temperatures and depending on the solvents used. The final economic analysis has shown that the membrane contactor process will cause the cost of electricity to increase by 21% from the base plant without CO 2 capture. The goal of 10% increase in levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) from base DOE Case 1(base plant without capture) is not achieved by using the membrane contactor. However, the 21% increase in LCOE is a substantial improvement as compared with the 31.6% increase in LCOE as in DOE Case 2(state of art capture technology using 2-stages of Selexol TM ).

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗