Session: 09-16-03: Energy-Related Multidisciplinary III

Paper Number: 165864

CFD Modelling of CO2 Adsorption Onto Activated Carbon: Influence of Cooling, and Injection Strategies 

The demand to produce pressurized gases, particularly through carbon capture and storage (CCS) methods, is significantly high due to its crucial importance in regulatory, industrial, and environmental contexts. As the global community seeks effective ways to tackle climate change, adsorption-based technologies to capture CO₂ offer a promising solution. These technologies are essential in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and, at the same time, improving the sustainability of industrial operations. Among the promising approaches for CO₂ capture and compression, pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and temperature swing adsorption (TSA) are noteworthy. In the context of adsorbents utilized in PSA and TSA processes, activated carbon has shown superior uptake capacity at relatively high pressures in comparison with other adsorbents such as zeolite and silica.

The adsorption of CO₂ onto activated carbon has gained significant popularity and importance as a strategy to address climate change. Adsorption using activated carbon is widely recognized for its ability to efficiently capture and store carbon dioxide from various industrial processes, thereby minimising greenhouse gas emissions. The popularity of this technique stems from its relatively low cost, high adsorption capacity, and the capability to be regenerated and reused, making it a sustainable option. However, the process faces several challenges, such as optimizing adsorption kinetics and managing thermal and flow dynamics, which highlight the crucial need for the evolution of contemporary adsorption reactor designs. Enhancements in reactor technology could result in improved adsorption performance, higher energy efficiency, and overall system effectiveness, which are all essential to meeting global emission reduction targets and promoting sustainable industrial practices.

While numerous studies have explored the impact of porosity on adsorption efficiency, they often overlook the investigation into the effects of different CO₂ injection styles-specifically axial compared to radial injection on adsorption kinetics and flow distribution within the bed. Therefore, we developed a numerical model that deeply investigates the underlying physics involved in the process of CO₂ adsorption focusing on heat and mass transfer. By analysing the effects of injection styles and cooling strategies through an integrated framework, this research provides critical insights into design of efficient reactors for CO₂ capture using activated carbon.

In this research, we developed a numerical model to study CO₂ adsorption onto activated carbon, a promising approach for carbon capture and storage. The developed model integrates Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with the Linear Driving Force (LDF) adsorption model to simulate the interactions between flow dynamics, heat transfer and mass adsorption within a packed bed. Validation against experimental measurements showed strong agreement, confirming the model’s reliability. The main results highlight that employing an annular-shaped reactor with dual cooling surfaces improved heat dissipation, thereby boosting adsorption performance. The study also showed that radial injection improved the adsorption performance and energy efficiency. These insights contribute to optimizing reactor configurations for more effective CO₂ capture technologies.

Presenting Author: Ali M. Sefidan Aalto University

Presenting Author Biography: Ali M. Sefidan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalto University in the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering. His research primarily focuses on heat and mass transfer, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), evaporation, droplet drying, and CO₂ adsorption. With expertise in numerical modeling and simulation, he utilizes COMSOL, MATLAB, Python, and CFD techniques to analyze complex transport phenomena in energy and environmental systems.

Dr. Sefidan holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from University of Canterbury, and his work contributes to the advancement of energy-efficient processes in carbon capture and drying technologies. His research aims to optimize reactor designs and enhance adsorption-based separation methods through high-fidelity simulations and experimental validation.

Authors:

Ali M. Sefidan Aalto University
Jari Vepsälainen Aalto University