Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion

Brazil has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is a significant opportunity to leverage calcium looping (CaL) technology for energy generation in natural gas power plants. CaL is a promising technology, due to sorbent low cost and availability, but its industrial implementatio...

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Main Authors: Rubens Coutinho Toledo, Caio Leandro de Moraes, Vinoth Thangarasu, João Andrade de Carvalho, Ivonete Avila
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Energies
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2285
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author Rubens Coutinho Toledo
Caio Leandro de Moraes
Vinoth Thangarasu
João Andrade de Carvalho
Ivonete Avila
author_facet Rubens Coutinho Toledo
Caio Leandro de Moraes
Vinoth Thangarasu
João Andrade de Carvalho
Ivonete Avila
author_sort Rubens Coutinho Toledo
collection DOAJ
description Brazil has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is a significant opportunity to leverage calcium looping (CaL) technology for energy generation in natural gas power plants. CaL is a promising technology, due to sorbent low cost and availability, but its industrial implementation performance decay is a major challenge to face. While evaluating carbon-capture technologies, net emissions perspective is essential, and optimizing CaL capture through a partial carbonation cycle is a promising approach, both to reduce net emissions and improve the number of cycles before deactivation. In this context, a Brazilian dolomite was characterized and evaluated, to be used as sorbent in a CaL process employed in natural gas power plants. For such a purpose, a novel methodology has been proposed to evaluate the mass ratio of CO<sub>2</sub> captured, to assess the energy consumed in the process. A rotatable central composite design (RCCD) model was used to identify the optimal temperature and residence time conditions in the carbonation stage of the CaL process, focusing on achieving energy efficiency. The five most promising conditions were then tested across 10 calcination–carbonation cycles, to examine the impact of partial carbonation in capture efficiency over extended cycles. The results indicate that temperature plays a critical role in the process, particularly in terms of capture efficiency, while residence time significantly affects energy consumption. The conditions that demonstrated optimal performance for both the single and the multi-cycle tests were 580 °C for 7.5 min and 550 °C for 10 min, given that index of capture efficiency (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">IEC</mi><mrow><mn>10</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>) values of 1.34 and 1.20 were found, respectively—up to 40% higher than at 475 °C. There was lower energy expenditure at 580 °C (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">E</mi><mrow><mi>s</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>) (33.48 kJ), 550 °C (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">E</mi><mrow><mi>s</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> = 37.97 kJ), <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>CO</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> mass captured (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>CO</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mrow><mi>c</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> = 9.80 mg), and the samples exhibited a more preserved surface, thus making it the most suitable option for scale-up applications.
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spelling doaj-art-e4802d09064849d781ba2c5d75c1ae222025-08-20T03:52:58ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-04-01189228510.3390/en18092285Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas CombustionRubens Coutinho Toledo0Caio Leandro de Moraes1Vinoth Thangarasu2João Andrade de Carvalho3Ivonete Avila4LC3—Laboratory of Combustion and Carbon Capture, Department of Chemistry and Energy, School of Engineering and Science, UNESP—São Paulo State University, Guaratingueta 12516-410, SP, BrazilLC3—Laboratory of Combustion and Carbon Capture, Department of Chemistry and Energy, School of Engineering and Science, UNESP—São Paulo State University, Guaratingueta 12516-410, SP, BrazilIndian Rubber Materials Research Institute, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Thane 400604, Maharashtra, IndiaLC3—Laboratory of Combustion and Carbon Capture, Department of Chemistry and Energy, School of Engineering and Science, UNESP—São Paulo State University, Guaratingueta 12516-410, SP, BrazilLC3—Laboratory of Combustion and Carbon Capture, Department of Chemistry and Energy, School of Engineering and Science, UNESP—São Paulo State University, Guaratingueta 12516-410, SP, BrazilBrazil has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which is a significant opportunity to leverage calcium looping (CaL) technology for energy generation in natural gas power plants. CaL is a promising technology, due to sorbent low cost and availability, but its industrial implementation performance decay is a major challenge to face. While evaluating carbon-capture technologies, net emissions perspective is essential, and optimizing CaL capture through a partial carbonation cycle is a promising approach, both to reduce net emissions and improve the number of cycles before deactivation. In this context, a Brazilian dolomite was characterized and evaluated, to be used as sorbent in a CaL process employed in natural gas power plants. For such a purpose, a novel methodology has been proposed to evaluate the mass ratio of CO<sub>2</sub> captured, to assess the energy consumed in the process. A rotatable central composite design (RCCD) model was used to identify the optimal temperature and residence time conditions in the carbonation stage of the CaL process, focusing on achieving energy efficiency. The five most promising conditions were then tested across 10 calcination–carbonation cycles, to examine the impact of partial carbonation in capture efficiency over extended cycles. The results indicate that temperature plays a critical role in the process, particularly in terms of capture efficiency, while residence time significantly affects energy consumption. The conditions that demonstrated optimal performance for both the single and the multi-cycle tests were 580 °C for 7.5 min and 550 °C for 10 min, given that index of capture efficiency (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">IEC</mi><mrow><mn>10</mn><mo>,</mo><mi>c</mi></mrow></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>) values of 1.34 and 1.20 were found, respectively—up to 40% higher than at 475 °C. There was lower energy expenditure at 580 °C (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">E</mi><mrow><mi>s</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula>) (33.48 kJ), 550 °C (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">E</mi><mrow><mi>s</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> = 37.97 kJ), <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>CO</mi><mn>2</mn></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> mass captured (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><mrow><msub><mi>CO</mi><mn>2</mn></msub><mrow><mi>c</mi><mi>a</mi><mi>p</mi></mrow></mrow></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> = 9.80 mg), and the samples exhibited a more preserved surface, thus making it the most suitable option for scale-up applications.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2285CO<sub>2</sub> capturenatural gascalcium loopingRCCDthermogravimetryTGA
spellingShingle Rubens Coutinho Toledo
Caio Leandro de Moraes
Vinoth Thangarasu
João Andrade de Carvalho
Ivonete Avila
Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion
Energies
CO<sub>2</sub> capture
natural gas
calcium looping
RCCD
thermogravimetry
TGA
title Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion
title_full Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion
title_fullStr Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion
title_full_unstemmed Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion
title_short Efficiency and Energy Consumption of Partial Carbonation Process for CO<sub>2</sub> Capture from Natural Gas Combustion
title_sort efficiency and energy consumption of partial carbonation process for co sub 2 sub capture from natural gas combustion
topic CO<sub>2</sub> capture
natural gas
calcium looping
RCCD
thermogravimetry
TGA
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2285
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