Project general information
Project:Innovative methods for carbon dioxide capture applied for decarbonised energy vectors poly-generation;
Funding body: Executive Agency for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI)
Project code: PN-II-CT-ERC-2012-1/2ERC
Period: 2012 - 2014
This project proposal has as main aim to propose and to evaluate using both experimental and numerical investigation methods the conceptual design and techno-economical and environmental impact perspectives of innovative methods for CO2 capture using chemical looping systems applied to energy conversion processes (total and partial oxidation). The project’s objectives are in line with the EU 2020 strategy (EU climate and energy package) and “Resource Efficient Europe” initiative for competitive, sustainable and secure energy along the main lines: significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions (feedstock carbon capture rate min. 90 %); promote renewable energy sources (biomass); finding ways of improving energy efficiency (at least 5 % more in term of net energy efficiency) and reduce CO2 capture energy and cost penalty.
As innovative elements, in the context of the state of the art in the field and the potential to go beyond current knowledge, the project will investigate the following objectives:
- To evaluate innovative chemical looping methods for CO2 capture (min. 90 % capture rate) applied to combustion and gasification/reforming conversion of fossil and renewable fuels;
- To develop, commission and operate a laboratory testing facility of chemical looping systems. The experimental rig will be used to test the performances of chemical looping systems in various conditions (oxygen carriers developments, kinetic determinations, reactor design, optimization of operation conditions, validation of mathematical models, scale-up analysis etc.). The experimental facility will be operated in batch mode and will contain one or two reactors (operated dually in fixed and fluidized bed modes) due to financial constraints (a continuous experimental installation with 2 interconnected reactors was foreseen in the original ERC project);
- To propose innovative conceptual designs for energy vectors poly-generation based on carbon capture configurations using chemical looping systems and to develop detailed and advanced mathematical models of these systems. Based on experimental results (own experiments and literature sources) the models will be validated and then mass and energy integration analysis, scale-up analysis, sensitivity analysis will be performed;
- Based on experimental and simulation results, techno-economical evaluations and environmental impact assessments of a wide range of energy conversion processes with carbon dioxide capture using chemical looping will be made. The key plant performance indicators will be compared with existing state of the art power plants without CCS.
In the context of novelty and unconventional aspects mentioned above, it has to be clearly stated that the project will analyze from different angles: experimental, numerical investigations, techno-economical and environmental evaluations etc., the evaluated energy conversion processes with chemical looping. It is important to also mention the project’s strong interdisciplinary character which combines in a coherent manner knowledge from various fields: chemistry, kinetic analysis, chemical engineering, experimental optimization, chemical reaction engineering, thermo-energy conversion processes, process design and integration, computational techniques, techno-economic and environmental evaluations. The high degree of interdisciplinary will ensure the development of human resource and create conditions for competing successfully to future European competitions (e.g. ERC) and increase the visibility of Romanian research