Using the second law of thermodynamic to improve CO2 capture systems

Abstract

AbstractAmong the main challenges of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, the reduction of energy penalties associated with the capture process and the integration of the new process in the design of a complex system - original power plant and capture facility - are major issues. Traditionally, the Second Law of Thermodynamics is an essential tool for process optimization through the application of exergy and exergy destruction (irreversibility) concepts. An exergy analysis provides a guide for identifying those systems and equipments with larger irreversibility. Modifications in the design of these systems may lead to reduction of thermodynamic inefficiencies in CO2 capture facilities, improving their performance and reducing costs. In this work, some examples of the application of the Second Law of Thermodynamics are presented for postcombustion, oxyfuel combustion and precombustion CO2 capture technologies. The main target is to identify the equipment with larger irreversibilities and to propose items for future optimization