Process simulation of Ca-looping processes: review and guidelines

CATEGORY: CHEMICAL LOOPING
Energy Procedia, Volume 37, 2013, Pages 142–150
GHGT-11
Process simulation of Ca-looping processes: review and guidelines
Matteo C. Romano (a), Isabel Martínez (b), Ramón Murillo (b), Bjørnar Arstad (c), Richard Blom (c),
Dursun Can Ozcan (d), Hyungwoong Ahn (d), Stefano Brandani (d)
a Politecnico di Milano, Energy Department, via Lambruschini 4, 20156 Milano, Italy
b Instituto de Carboquímica (ICB-CSIC), C/Miguel Luesma Castán 4, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
c SINTEF Material and Chemistry, P.O. Box 124 Blindern, N-0314 Oslo, Norway
d IMP-SEE, The University of Edinburgh, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK
Abstract
Ca-looping is one of the most promising processes for CO2 capture in short to medium term plants, which can be applied for both post-combustion and pre-combustion layouts. The recent successful operations of MW-scale pilot plants are leading to an increased interest in this technology. In addition, the particularly advantageous applicability in cement plants, the main industrial contributors to CO2 emissions worldwide, can further lead to a forthcoming development of the technology.
Quite a large amount of scientific papers on reactors and process modeling has been published in the recent years and more studies are expected to be published in the future. According to the experience of the authors in this field and on the basis of a literature review, suggestions and modeling needs for next works are provided in this paper.
Introduction
Calcium (Ca)-looping is one of the most promising processes for CO2 capture in future short to medium term plants. Such regenerative processes are based on the capacity of calcium oxide (CaO)-based sorbents in the reaction with gaseous CO2 at high temperatures (600-750°C) by forming solid calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Since this carbonation reaction is highly exothermic, heat must be provided to decompose CaCO3 back into the CaO sorbent and a concentrated CO2 stream ready for sequestration. The Ca-looping concept can be integrated in a variety of plants, the most promising being: (i) coal fired PC or CFB power plants with post-combustion capture, (ii) natural gas-fed plants for power and hydrogen production with pre-combustion capture and (iii) cement production plants.
Being Ca-looping an emerging technology, process modeling and simulation and economic evaluation are particularly important to understand its potential and to optimize operating parameters in the different possible applications. In such activity, in order to avoid misleading results, it is of primary importance to make correct calculation assumptions, taking into account the findings from the increasing modeling and experimental activity in this field.
This paper results from an activity carried out within the Joint Programme on Carbon Capture and Storage of the European Energy Research Alliance (EERA CCS-JP). The objective of this study is to make a brief review of the main process simulation studies available today on Ca-looping processes and propose some guidelines for future works on this subject. Further details on the analysis carried out and an extensive review of the literature can be accessed on the EERA CCS-JP web site [1].
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