Amine Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Duty Calculator
Industrial Decarbonization & CCUS: Determine stripper reboiler heat duty ($q_{reb}$ in $GJ/t\;CO_2$), solvent circulation rate, and sensible/latent heat split for amine-based $CO_2$ absorption.
Flue Gas Flow & Capture Target
Absorber & Stripper Operational Loadings
Specific Reboiler Duty & Circulation Output
Recommended Tools & Equipment
Tested hardware and components for high reliability
Post-Combustion Carbon Capture Stripper Reboiler Thermodynamics
Chemical absorption with aqueous amine solvents is the most mature technology for capturing $CO_2$ from industrial flue gases (coal, natural gas, cement, and steel mills).
1. Three-Component Reboiler Heat Duty
q_reboiler = q_desorption + q_sensible + q_vaporization q_desorption = ΔH_rxn / Mw_CO2 [GJ/tonne CO2] q_sensible = ( m_solvent / m_CO2 ) · C_p,solvent · ΔT_approach q_vaporization = ( n_H2O / n_CO2 ) · ΔH_vap,H2O / Mw_CO2
2. Cyclic Solvent Circulation
Δα = α_rich - α_lean [mol CO2 / mol amine] m_solvent_rate = ( Flow_CO2 / Δα ) · ( Mw_amine / w_amine )
Frequently Asked Questions
What constitutes the specific reboiler duty (q_reb) in post-combustion amine capture?
The specific reboiler duty is the total thermal energy required per metric ton of captured $CO_2$. It consists of three thermodynamic components: (1) heat of desorption / reaction ($\Delta H_{des} \approx 1.8\sim 2.0\,\text{GJ/t}$) to break the chemical carbamate bonds, (2) sensible heat to warm the circulating liquid solvent from the cross heat exchanger up to stripper reboiler temperature, and (3) latent heat to vaporize water into stripping steam.
Why is the lean-rich loading difference (Δα) so crucial for capture economics?
The cyclic capacity $\Delta \alpha = \alpha_{rich} - \alpha_{lean}$ dictates the required solvent circulation flow rate. A larger $\Delta \alpha$ means less solvent mass must be pumped per ton of $CO_2$ captured. This directly reduces pump electrical consumption and dramatically shrinks the sensible heat load in the stripper reboiler.
How does advanced Piperazine (PZ) compare with standard 30 wt% MEA?
Piperazine (PZ) operates at higher stripper temperatures ($140^\circ\text{C}$ vs. $120^\circ\text{C}$) without thermal degradation, permitting high-pressure stripping that yields $CO_2$ at $5\sim 6\,\text{bar}$ rather than atmospheric pressure. This slashes downstream $CO_2$ compression power and lowers reboiler duty from $\sim 3.6\,\text{GJ/t}$ down to $2.1\sim 2.4\,\text{GJ/t}$.