Decarbonising Steel: Carbon Capture of Blast Furnace Gas through Chemical Absorption

钢铁行业的脱碳对于实现净零碳排放和最大限度地减少气候变化影响至关重要。世界上大多数钢铁是通过高炉-氧气顶吹转炉路线生产的，大部分炼钢排放物直接来自高炉。目前，有有限的知识有关的应用化学吸收技术去除CO2高炉煤气（BFG），现有的研究主要集中在模拟和建模研究。涉及中试工厂实验活动或更大规模应用的研究要么使用单乙醇胺（MEA）作为传统的基线溶剂，要么使用公开信息有限的商业专有溶剂。进一步的工作也正在调查，以改善这些捕获工厂的性能，通过结构的修改，其中大部分也是限制到模拟研究。本项目的主要目的是：调查CO2捕获高炉煤气的化学吸收在中试规模提高和优化性能的中试工厂的基础上，工艺修改为了实现上述目标，四个目标已被概述，将调查本项目，并帮助形成在最终论文出版物的主要研究章节。在中试规模上评估用于从典型高炉煤气成分中捕集CO2的化学吸收剂这一目标将利用位于谢菲尔德的转化能源研究中心（TERC）的化学捕集工厂，使用BFG进行一系列实验。将测试不同的溶剂，并将其与作为基线的MEA进行比较。性能指标包括：CO2回收/纯度、再沸器温度和负荷、溶剂流量。2.通过模拟和建模对TERC捕集厂的替代配置进行研究，以提高性能为了评估现有TERC捕集厂的不同配置，将使用白杨Plus进行模拟。将利用现有数据建立和验证现有基础捕集厂的模型，并据此评估替代配置。由于与BFG合作的新奇，这项建模工作将填补化学吸收改进的利基领域。在中试工厂实验室中使用不同化学吸收剂对结构改性的TERC捕集设备进行性能评估在目标2之后，接下来的事情是查看哪些结构改性可以实际应用于物理TERC捕集设备。这并不简单，可能会因资金和/或时间限制而受到限制。然而，该计划是调查选定的修改，在试点工厂的实验活动，以改善高炉煤气清理。理想情况下，这还将包括使用替代溶剂，这取决于所进行的修改的数量。实际数据将不同于从模拟和建模中获得的数据，因此重要的是评估数据的确证程度，并调查为什么会出现任何重大差异。4.通过基于TERC捕获厂放大的建模和模拟研究，对BFG净化的全尺寸化学吸收进行调查中试数据有助于评估放大到全尺寸系统的可行性、实用性和经济性。本目标将采用在前面的目标中所学到的知识，以模拟处理BFG的全尺寸捕集工厂。实际上，这项工作将指导全面扩大捕集工厂的设计，因为它们必须以切实的性能数据为基础。通过结合模拟和实际工作，从TERC捕集厂，全尺寸放大模型应具有良好的信誉，作为一个全面的设计，一个真实的捕集厂。

Decarbonisation of the iron and steel industry is essential in the pathway to net zero carbon emissions and the minimisation of climate change effects. Most of the world's steel is produced via the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace route, with a majority of the steelmaking emissions coming directly from the blast furnace. Currently, there is limited knowledge concerning the application of chemical absorption techniques of CO2 removal to blast furnace gas (BFG), with existing research mostly focussed on simulation and modelling studies. Research involving pilot-plant experimental campaigns or larger applications have either used monoethanolamine (MEA) as the traditional baseline solvent or have used commercial propriety solvents with limited information publicly available. Further work is also under investigation for improved performance of these capture plants through structural modifications, the majority of which is also constrained to simulation studies.The main aims of this project are to:Investigate CO2 capture from blast furnace gas by chemical absorption at pilot scaleImprove and optimise the performance of the pilot plant based on process modificationsTo achieve these above aims, four objectives have been outlined that will be investigated for this project and help to form the major research chapters in the final thesis publication.1. Assessment of chemical absorbents for CO2 capture from a typical blast furnace gas composition at a pilot scaleThis objective will utilise the chemical capture plant at the Translational Energy Research Centre (TERC) in Sheffield to perform a series of experiments using BFG. Different solvents will be tested and compared to MEA as the baseline. Performance metrics include: CO2 recovery/purity, reboiler temperature and duty, solvent flowrate.2. Investigation of alternative configurations of the TERC capture plant for improved performance through simulation and modellingTo assess different configurations of the existing TERC capture plant, simulation will be undertaken using Aspen Plus. A model of the existing base capture plant will be created and validated using existing data, against which alternative configurations will be assessed. This modelling work will fill a niche area for chemical absorption improvement due to the novelty of working with BFG.3. Performance evaluation of the structurally modified TERC capture plant with different chemical absorbents in a pilot-plant experimental campaignFollowing objective 2, the next thing is to see which structural modifications can be realistically applied to the physical TERC capture plant. This will not be simple and may be restricted due to funding and/or time constraints. However, the plan is to investigate selected modifications in a pilot-plant experimental campaign for improved BFG clean up. Ideally this will also include the use of alternative solvents, depending on the number of modifications made. Practical data will be different to the data obtained from simulation and modelling, so it is important to assess how close the data corroborates and investigate why any major differences occur. 4. Investigation of full-scale chemical absorption for BFG clean-up through a modelling and simulation study based on scale-up from the TERC capture plantPilot-scale data is useful to assess the feasibility, practicality and economics of scaling up to full-size systems. This objective will take what has been learned in the previous objectives in order to model a full-size capture plant to deal with BFG. Practically, this work would guide the designs for full-scale up capture plants, as they have to be based on tangible performance data. By combining both simulated and practical work from the TERC capture plant, the full-scale up model should have a good standing as a comprehensive design for a real capture plant.