Development of the next generation CO2 capture processes using new formulated solvents and novel solvent regeneration techniques

二氧化碳（CO2）的捕获是大多数天然气加工厂、生物气处理装置和炼油厂的一个重要处理步骤。对于氢气生产工厂、合成气工厂、生物质气化装置和油砂作业等化工和能源生产设施来说，它也是必不可少的过程。这些工业过程是未来清洁能源和低碳燃料（包括生物燃料）生产的非常重要的步骤。此外，二氧化碳捕获过程是碳捕获、利用和封存（CCUS）技术的最重要组成部分，该技术在解决我们这个时代的两个重要环境问题（一）气候变化和（二）能源安全方面发挥着关键作用。国际能源署（IEA）的一项研究报告称，在未来50年内，通过提高石油采收率（EOR）的应用，将有巨大的机会储存高达360亿吨的二氧化碳。EOR技术代表了一个可能将石油产量提高3750亿桶的机会。从生命周期评价的角度看，CO2驱采油单位能量CO2排放总量远小于天然气。例如，国际能源署Weyburn-Midale二氧化碳监测和储存项目是世界上最大的用于EOR和CCUS技术的二氧化碳实施项目，自2000年以来已经储存了超过3000万吨的人为二氧化碳。这项研究的最终目标是开发一种更有效的二氧化碳捕获工艺技术，用于工业气体流，以尽可能低的资本和运营成本，以及最小的运营挑战。主要目的是研究不同的方法来降低二氧化碳分离的成本，通过开发有前途的和新的配制溶剂，用于二氧化碳回收使用新的和最近发明的特种胺。在拟议的研究计划中，我们将重点研究这些新创建的胺及其配方混合物，包括(i) 4-（（2-羟乙基）（甲基）氨基）-2-丁醇（HEMAB）和（ii） 4-（（2-羟乙基）（乙基）氨基）-2-丁醇（HEEAB）。初步结果表明，这些新型胺可以提供比传统胺更高的CO2吸收能力。新型的溶剂再生技术，称为催化剂辅助法，以及溶剂再生的比例分裂流的概念，也将被用于进一步降低能耗。所获得的知识将有助于我们目前对这些技术的理解，并为开发未来和更有效的二氧化碳捕获技术奠定基础。这一新的认识将有助于油气行业大幅节省二氧化碳捕获和分离过程的资本和运营成本，从而减少温室气体排放，造福于我们的环境。

The capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) is an important processing step for most natural gas processing plants, bio-gas processing units and petroleum refineries. It is also an essential process for chemical and energy production facilities such as hydrogen production plants, synthesis gas plants, biomass-gasification units, and oil-sand operations. These industrial processes are very important steps for the future production of clean energy and low-carbon fuels, which include bio-fuels. Also, the CO2 capture process is the most important component of the technology called Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS), which plays a key role in addressing the two important environmental problems of our time: (i) climate-change and (ii) energy security. An International Energy Agency (IEA) study reports that there is a significant opportunity of storing up to 360 Gt of CO2 through enhanced oil recovery (EOR) applications over the next 50 years. The EOR technology represents an opportunity to potentially increase oil production by up to 375 billion barrels. From the perspective of life cycle assessment, the total emission of CO2 per unit energy produced from the oil produced by CO2 EOR flooding is much less than that of natural gas. For example, the IEA Weyburn-Midale CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project, which constitutes the world's largest implementation of CO2 for EOR and CCUS technologies, has stored over 30 million tons of anthropogenic CO2 since 2000.      The ultimate goal of the proposed study is to develop a more effective CO2 capture process technology for industrial gas streams, with the lowest possible capital and operating costs, and minimal operating challenges. The primary objective is to investigate different methods for reducing the cost of CO2 separation by developing promising and novel formulated solvents for CO2 recovery using new and recently invented specialty amines. In the proposed research program, we will focus on studying these newly created amines and their formulated mixtures which include (i) 4-((2-hydroxyethyl)(methyl)amino)-2-butanol (HEMAB) and (ii) 4-((2-hydroxyethyl)(ethyl)amino)-2-butanol (HEEAB). Initial results show that these novel amines can provide much higher CO2 absorption capacities for CO2 removal than conventional amines. Novel solvent regeneration techniques, called the catalyst-aided method, together with the concept of proportional split flow for solvent regeneration, will also be used to further reduce the energy consumption. The knowledge obtained will contribute to our current understanding of these technologies, as well as form the basis for developing the future and more efficient generations of CO2 capture technologies. The new understanding will help the industry to achieve significant savings in both capital and operating costs of the CO2 capture and separation processes which can reduce the greenhouse gas and benefit our environment.