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CO2 capture with calcined dolomite: the effect of sorbent particle size

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Abstract

This investigation is set in the more comprehensive study of an innovative fluidized bed reformer configuration for producing hydrogen from either biomass/coal syngas or natural gas, in which capture of carbon dioxide by-product occurs in parallel with steam reforming and water–gas shift reactions. Reported here are experimental data of carbon dioxide absorption by particles of calcined dolomite included in a bed of otherwise inert material; the bed, initially fluidized by nitrogen, was subjected to a step concentration input of carbon dioxide and the sorption kinetics was obtained from the outlet response of the entire system. The influence of dolomite particle size was investigated—from 98 to 1,550 μm—and a previously developed grain model was used to relate the observed effect of particle diameter to the complex mechanism of carbon dioxide capture in a solid sorbent. The results show that pore shrinking effects during the carbon dioxide capture process become increasingly more significant as the particle size is increased.

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Abbreviations

a :

Parameter in Eq. 14 [−]

b :

Parameter in Eq. 14 [−]

C :

Molar concentration [moles per litre at STP]

CCA:

Cluster–cluster aggregate

d :

Diameter [metres]

D :

Diffusion coefficient [square metres per second]

f :

Volumetric fraction in the particle phase [–]

H :

Mole holdup [moles]

k :

Rate constant [quartic metres per kilomole per second]

m :

Mass [grammes]

M :

Molecular mass [kilogrammes per kilomole]

N:

Mole per unit of volume [kilomoles per cubic metre]

p :

Pressure [pascals]

r :

Radius [metres]

r :

Rate of reaction [kilomoles per second per cubic metre]

R :

Universal gas constant [joules per mole per kelvin]

RC:

Random cluster

T :

Temperature [kelvin]

t :

Time [seconds]

v :

Volume [litres]

w :

Weight fraction [–]

X :

Local extent of CaO carbonation [–]

XRF:

X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

y :

Molar fraction [–]

Z :

Ratio of the CaCO3 molar volume to that for CaO [–]

α :

Exponent in Eq. 10 [–]

β :

Parameter defined in Eq. 8 [–]

δ :

Average grain diameter [metres]

ε :

Particle’s porosity [–]

ρ :

Particle’s density [kilogrammes per cubic metre]

σ :

Surface area per unit volume of sorbent particle [per metres]

τ :

Tortuosity [–]

λ :

Dimensionless radius, r/r 0 [–]

φ :

Thiele-like modulus defined in Eq. 16 [–]

Φ :

Thiele-like modulus defined in Eq. 15 [–]

0:

Outer, reference, initial value (fully calcined particle)

1:

Value at the end of CaO carbonation

av:

Average

Ca:

Calcium

CaO:

Calcium oxide

CO2 :

Carbon dioxide

DT:

Dead time

e:

Equilibrium

eff:

Effective

G:

Gas phase holdup

g:

Grain

i:

Inlet

KN:

Knudsen

MgO:

Magnesium oxide

MIX:

Mixed region

mol:

Molecular

PL:

Product layer

S:

Solid phase (sorbent, sand), surface

T:

Total holdup

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support to this research project of the Italian Ministry for Economic Development under the programme “Ricerca di Sistema Elettrico” (RSE) and the “Agenzia per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile” (ENEA). The authors are grateful to the referees for their comments and suggestions to improve the clarity of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Rome, Italy

    Stefano Stendardo

  2. University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

    Luca Di Felice, Katia Gallucci & Pier Ugo Foscolo

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  1. Stefano Stendardo
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  2. Luca Di Felice
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  4. Pier Ugo Foscolo
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Correspondence to Stefano Stendardo.

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Stendardo, S., Di Felice, L., Gallucci, K. et al. CO2 capture with calcined dolomite: the effect of sorbent particle size. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 1, 149–161 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-011-0018-y

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