Pilot plants of membrane technology in industry: Challenges and key learnings

doi:10.1007/s11705-019-1860-x

Front. Chem. Sci. Eng.

2020, Vol. 14

Issue (3) : 305-316 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-019-1860-x

REVIEW ARTICLE

Pilot plants of membrane technology in industry: Challenges and key learnings

Colin A. Scholes(

)

Peter Cook Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage Research, Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia

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Abstract

Membrane technology holds great potential in gas separation applications, especially carbon dioxide capture from industrial processes. To achieve this potential, the outputs from global research endeavours into membrane technologies must be trialled in industrial processes, which requires membrane-based pilot plants. These pilot plants are critical to the commercialization of membrane technology, be it as gas separation membranes or membrane gas-solvent contactors, as failure at the pilot plant level may delay the development of the technology for decades. Here, the author reports on his experience of operating membrane-based pilot plants for gas separation and contactor configurations as part of three industrial carbon capture initiatives: the Mulgrave project, H3 project and Vales Point project. Specifically, the challenges of developing and operating membrane pilot plants are presented, as well as the key learnings on how to successfully manage membrane pilot plants to achieve desired performance outcomes. The purpose is to assist membrane technologists in the carbon capture field to achieve successful outcomes for their technology innovations.

Keywords membrane gas separation membrane contactors carbon capture pilot plants key learnings

Corresponding Author(s): Colin A. Scholes

Just Accepted Date: 18 September 2019 Online First Date: 08 November 2019 Issue Date: 28 April 2020

Cite this article:

Colin A. Scholes. Pilot plants of membrane technology in industry: Challenges and key learnings[J]. Front. Chem. Sci. Eng., 2020, 14(3): 305-316.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/10.1007/s11705-019-1860-x
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fcse/EN/Y2020/V14/I3/305

Fig.1 Schematic of the membrane gas-solvent contactor process for CO₂ separation from flue gas (post-combustion capture).

Tab.1 Average feed gas conditions and composition (dry basis) of the Mulgrave, H3 and Vales Point projects

Tab.2 Membrane type, materials and module configuration trialled as part of the Mulgrave, H3 and Vales Point projects

Fig.2 Photographs of membrane pilot plants of the Mulgrave, H3 and Vales Point projects.

Fig.3 (a) Rotameter fouling in downstream lines and (b) oversized commercial heat exchanger sized for Vales Point project operation.

Fig.4 Scale of the membranes tested at the Mulgrave, H3 and Vales Point pilot plants.

Fig.5 Membrane contactor module housing failures due to solvent degradation.

Fig.6 Fluctuations in the feed gas pressure (kPa) at the (a) Mulgrave, (b) H3 and (c) Vales Point projects over different time scales. The dashed lines in (a) correspond to periodic breaks in operation.

Fig.7 Differential pressure across the membrane contactor over time at the H3 project for solvent inlet (black) and solvent outlet (grey) (reproduced with permission from [³¹]).

Fig.8 Ash build-up on membrane modules at the H3 project for (a) the membrane contactor and (b) gas separation membrane.

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