Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification

The social and scientific effort to transition from fossil fuels to renewables or other eco-friendly energy alternatives is not enough to satisfy the increasing global energy demand. That leads to the continued use of fossil fuels, which causes a rising CO2 concentration into the atmosphere. Carbon...

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Main Authors: Carles Troyano Ferré, Rubén Cabello, Alexandra Elena Plesu Popescu, Jordi Bonet-Ruiz, Pablo Gamallo Belmonte, Joaquim Camps
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2024-12-01
Series:Chemical Engineering Transactions
Online Access:https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14993
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author Carles Troyano Ferré
Rubén Cabello
Alexandra Elena Plesu Popescu
Jordi Bonet-Ruiz
Pablo Gamallo Belmonte
Joaquim Camps
author_facet Carles Troyano Ferré
Rubén Cabello
Alexandra Elena Plesu Popescu
Jordi Bonet-Ruiz
Pablo Gamallo Belmonte
Joaquim Camps
author_sort Carles Troyano Ferré
collection DOAJ
description The social and scientific effort to transition from fossil fuels to renewables or other eco-friendly energy alternatives is not enough to satisfy the increasing global energy demand. That leads to the continued use of fossil fuels, which causes a rising CO2 concentration into the atmosphere. Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) techniques are being developed to mitigate its negative consequences because fossil fuel consumption is still required. The methanol (MeOH) production from the collected CO2 is an industrial example of carbon utilisation. This process is currently carried out in three steps. In the first step, the CO2 in the monoethanolamine (MEA) solution is thermally liberated (thermodynamically non-spontaneous). The first step is the thermal liberation of the CO2 trapped in the MEA 30 wt.% aqueous solution. After that, the reactor is fed with H2 and the released CO2 to initiate the MeOH reaction (thermodynamically favourable). The MeOH is finally collected using distillation (thermodynamically non-spontaneous). The energy consumption of a process decreases when it combines a thermodynamically favourable process with a non-favourable process. The aim of this study is to examine, through rigorous simulation, the possibilities of process intensification. The performance of CO2 desorption and hydrogenation in a single step is analysed with Aspen Plus®. The capacity to combine the two units creates a new field of inquiry for this method's energy-saving potential. After experimental analysis of its viability and its optimisation for maximising energy savings, the industrial impact is assured. Further research is needed to achieve reducing energy since the resultant energy of the overall system (the Reactive-Desorber Column plus two distillation columns) consumes 70 GJ/t MeOH. Nevertheless, the first simulation presented in this study indicates that a desorption-reaction column may be feasible, providing an alternative path for investigation into how to enhance the CO2 hydrogenation to MeOH process.
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spelling doaj-art-2e05fdbeda4147d28b05a78c7caefa832024-12-25T00:40:24ZengAIDIC Servizi S.r.l.Chemical Engineering Transactions2283-92162024-12-01114Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process IntensificationCarles Troyano FerréRubén CabelloAlexandra Elena Plesu PopescuJordi Bonet-RuizPablo Gamallo BelmonteJoaquim CampsThe social and scientific effort to transition from fossil fuels to renewables or other eco-friendly energy alternatives is not enough to satisfy the increasing global energy demand. That leads to the continued use of fossil fuels, which causes a rising CO2 concentration into the atmosphere. Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) techniques are being developed to mitigate its negative consequences because fossil fuel consumption is still required. The methanol (MeOH) production from the collected CO2 is an industrial example of carbon utilisation. This process is currently carried out in three steps. In the first step, the CO2 in the monoethanolamine (MEA) solution is thermally liberated (thermodynamically non-spontaneous). The first step is the thermal liberation of the CO2 trapped in the MEA 30 wt.% aqueous solution. After that, the reactor is fed with H2 and the released CO2 to initiate the MeOH reaction (thermodynamically favourable). The MeOH is finally collected using distillation (thermodynamically non-spontaneous). The energy consumption of a process decreases when it combines a thermodynamically favourable process with a non-favourable process. The aim of this study is to examine, through rigorous simulation, the possibilities of process intensification. The performance of CO2 desorption and hydrogenation in a single step is analysed with Aspen Plus®. The capacity to combine the two units creates a new field of inquiry for this method's energy-saving potential. After experimental analysis of its viability and its optimisation for maximising energy savings, the industrial impact is assured. Further research is needed to achieve reducing energy since the resultant energy of the overall system (the Reactive-Desorber Column plus two distillation columns) consumes 70 GJ/t MeOH. Nevertheless, the first simulation presented in this study indicates that a desorption-reaction column may be feasible, providing an alternative path for investigation into how to enhance the CO2 hydrogenation to MeOH process.https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14993
spellingShingle Carles Troyano Ferré
Rubén Cabello
Alexandra Elena Plesu Popescu
Jordi Bonet-Ruiz
Pablo Gamallo Belmonte
Joaquim Camps
Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification
Chemical Engineering Transactions
title Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification
title_full Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification
title_fullStr Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification
title_full_unstemmed Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification
title_short Carbon Dioxide to Methanol Valorisation by Process Intensification
title_sort carbon dioxide to methanol valorisation by process intensification
url https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/14993
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AT jordibonetruiz carbondioxidetomethanolvalorisationbyprocessintensification
AT pablogamallobelmonte carbondioxidetomethanolvalorisationbyprocessintensification
AT joaquimcamps carbondioxidetomethanolvalorisationbyprocessintensification