Modern and futuristic refinery archetypes all must grapple with the critical issue of dilute feedstocks and products, especially CO2. A clear issue with dilute CO2 feedstocks is that it is unlikely that these molecules can be catalytically upgraded or converted when in a sea of similar compounds and diluents. This reality provides an economic driving force for improvements in separation systems capable of handling these dilute systems. Unfortunately, existing large-scale separations equipment can often consume more energy than the energy content of the dilute molecule – a showstopper if fuels are the final product for the captured CO2. Our calculations indicate that it is ultimately adsorption-based separations processes that provide the path forward for this class of separations. A key challenge – which will be the focus of the talk – is how to scale up (or “number up”) adsorption-based systems by 2-3 orders of magnitude. This level of scale-up is necessary for the CO2 footprint from the chemicals and petrochemicals sector to be addressed – another 1-2 orders of magnitude of scale-up beyond this are needed to address emissions from the transportation sector and power generation sector! This enormous task – coupled with the short time frames left available to stay under global carbon budgets – suggests that simplicity of materials and manufacturing will be critical for success. Manufacturing platforms based on fiber spinning – an eminently scalable process – will be discussed and compared to existing and emerging CO2 capture approaches. The talk will conclude with a discussion on the intersection of fuels, power, chemicals, water, and carbon and the roles that engineers will play during the major transitions that are likely to occur in global energy systems over the next twenty years.

Refinery of today, tomorrow, and the future: The role of CO2 capture

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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