Publication Date:
2014-09-11
Description:
Minimization of energy consumption was explored for countercurrent switched cryogenic packed beds in which separation of CO 2 and other components of natural gas can be achieved based on differences in freezing or desublimation points. Highly pure CO 2 and methane were obtained after separation. An experimental setup for CO 2 removal from natural gas was constructed and a detailed experimental study was conducted by changing different operating parameters. Compared to other cocurrent or jacket-cooled constant-temperature configurations, countercurrent switched beds provided optimal separation and energy efficiencies. The effects of important process parameters like initial temperature profiles of the cryogenic bed, feed composition, and feed flow rate on energy requirement, bed saturation, bed pressure, and cycling times were investigated. The energy requirement for cryogenic packed beds was compared with the conventional cryogenic distillation process. The cryogenic separation technology has been known for several decades. However, this technology was not extensively studied due to the common perception of high expected cooling duty. To bridge the gap in existing literature on cryogenic packed beds, systematic experiments on the effect of engineering parameters during purification of natural gas with high CO 2 contents were performed.
Print ISSN:
0930-7516
Electronic ISSN:
1521-4125
Topics:
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology
Permalink