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

在实现净零碳排放和将气候变化影响降至最低的道路上，钢铁行业的脱碳至关重要。世界上大多数钢铁都是通过高炉--碱性氧气炉路线生产的，大部分炼钢排放直接来自高炉。目前，关于高炉煤气化学吸收脱碳技术的应用知识有限，现有的研究主要集中在模拟和模型研究上。涉及中试工厂实验活动或更大应用的研究要么使用单乙醇胺(MEA)作为传统的基准溶剂，要么使用公开信息有限的商业适当溶剂。该项目的主要目标是：在中试规模上调查化学吸收法从高炉煤气中吸收二氧化碳以改善和优化中试设备的性能。为实现上述目标，概述了四个目标，这些目标将在本项目中进行调查，并有助于形成最终论文发表的主要研究章节1。对用于从典型高炉煤气成分中捕获二氧化碳的化学吸收剂进行中试规模的评估该目标将利用谢菲尔德转换能源研究中心(TERC)的化学捕集器，利用BFG进行一系列实验。将测试不同的溶剂，并以MEA为基线进行比较。性能指标包括：二氧化碳回收率/纯度、再沸器温度和负荷、溶剂流速。通过模拟和建模研究TERC捕集站的替代配置以提高性能为了评估现有TERC捕集站的不同配置，将使用Aspen Plus进行模拟。将使用现有数据创建和验证现有基地捕获工厂的模型，并根据该模型评估替代配置。由于与BFG.3合作的新颖性，这项建模工作将填补化学吸收改进的一个利基领域。在中试实验活动中对具有不同化学吸收剂的结构改进型TERC捕集装置的性能评估遵循目标2，下一步是看看哪些结构改装可以实际应用于物理TERC捕集装置。这并不简单，而且可能会因资金和/或时间限制而受到限制。然而，该计划是在中试工厂试验活动中调查选定的修改，以改进BFG清理。理想情况下，这也将包括使用替代溶剂，这取决于所做的修改的数量。实际数据将不同于从模拟和建模获得的数据，因此重要的是评估数据的确证程度，并调查为什么会出现重大差异。4.通过在TERC捕集厂扩大规模的基础上进行模拟和模拟研究，研究用于BFG清理的全规模化学吸收试验规模数据有助于评估扩大到全规模系统的可行性、实用性和经济性。这一目标将采用在前面的目标中学到的东西，以便建立一个处理高炉煤气的全尺寸捕集工厂。实际上，这项工作将指导全面扩大捕获工厂的设计，因为它们必须基于有形的性能数据。通过结合TERC捕集站的模拟和实际工作，全比例放大模型作为真实捕集站的综合设计应该有很好的地位。

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.