Conference publication – Optimal Control of Industrial Solvent-Based CO2 Capture Plants Conference publication

by | Jun 21, 2024

This publication, prepared by our project partners Cybernetica and SINTEF Industry, is a proceeding from the 34th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering and the 15th International Symposium on Process Systems Engineering (ESCAPE34/PSE24), held in Florence, Italy, from June 2-6, 2024.

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Researchers have developed and tested advanced methods to control systems that capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) from industrial processes. These methods were tested in a pilot facility—essentially a smaller, but realistic version of a full-scale industrial setup—using specialized equipment (tall absorber and desorber columns) that mimic real-world operations.

This paper shares new results from live tests where a technique called non-linear model predictive control (NMPC) was used. NMPC is a smart control system that predicts and adjusts the process in real time to keep it running efficiently. These experiments were carried out using a specific CO₂-absorbing solvent called HS3 at the SINTEF Tiller CO₂LAB pilot facility. This work is part of the ongoing AURORA project, which builds on earlier successful case studies and demonstrations in this area.

DOI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780443288241502817?via%3Dihub

The results are promising: they show that NMPC technology is almost ready to be used in actual industrial plants. Once deployed, this tool will automate the operation of CO₂ capture systems, making them more energy-efficient under all operating conditions and reducing the need for manual adjustments by operators. Additionally, this approach can potentially be extended to solve even more complex challenges that arise during the operation of CO₂ capture systems.

Key Terms Simplified

  1. CO₂ Capture Process: A technology used to trap carbon dioxide gas emitted from industrial activities (like power plants) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. Absorber and Desorber Columns: Large vertical towers where CO₂ is absorbed into a liquid solvent and later released (desorbed) for storage or further processing.
  3. Non-Linear Model Predictive Control (NMPC): A smart system that uses advanced calculations to predict how the process will behave in the future and makes real-time adjustments to optimize its operation.
  4. Solvent: A chemical substance (like the HS3 solvent mentioned here) that can capture CO₂ by absorbing it.
  5. Pilot Scale: A testing stage where a smaller version of an industrial process is built to check its performance before full-scale implementation.

In short, this work is paving the way for smarter, more efficient, and automated systems to reduce CO₂ emissions from industries, which is a big step forward in combating climate change.

Closing Knowledge Gaps – Density and Viscosity of Unloaded and CO2-loaded Aqueous AMP-PZ blends  

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AURORA’s latest scientific journal publication provides experimental density and viscosity data on different unloaded and CO2-loaded aqueous blends of  2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol (AMP) and piperazine (PZ) used for absorption-based CO2 capture. The paper also provides correlations for density and viscosity suitable for various modelling works.In our previous review article, we identified knowledge…