July 30, 2013
Journal Article

Multi-Phase CFD Modeling of Solid Sorbent Carbon Capture System

Abstract

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are used to investigate a low temperature post-combustion carbon capture reactor. The CFD models are based on a small scale solid sorbent carbon capture reactor design from ADA-ES and Southern Company. The reactor is a fluidized bed design based on a silica-supported amine sorbent. CFD models using both Eulerian-Eulerian and Eulerian-Lagrangian multi-phase modeling methods are developed to investigate the hydrodynamics and adsorption of carbon dioxide in the reactor. Models developed in both FLUENT® and BARRACUDA are presented to explore the strengths and weaknesses of state of the art CFD codes for modeling multi-phase carbon capture reactors. The results of the simulations show that the FLUENT® Eulerian-Lagrangian simulations (DDPM) are unstable for the given reactor design; while the BARRACUDA Eulerian-Lagrangian model is able to simulate the system given appropriate simplifying assumptions. FLUENT® Eulerian-Eulerian simulations also provide a stable solution for the carbon capture reactor given the appropriate simplifying assumptions.

Revised: June 14, 2013 | Published: July 30, 2013

Citation

Ryan E.M., D. DeCroix, R.W. Breault, W. Xu, E.D. Huckaby, K. Saha, and S. Darteville, et al. 2013. Multi-Phase CFD Modeling of Solid Sorbent Carbon Capture System. Powder Technology 242. PNNL-SA-86114. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2013.01.009