A model
of absorption and stripping columns is developed for post-combustion
CO2 capture in amine solvents. The model is based on a
rigorous thermodynamic framework, the extended UNIQUAC model, for
the representation of vapor–liquid equilibria (VLE) in order
to characterize different solvents in a wide range of concentration
and temperature. A rate-based formulation of chemically enhanced heat
and mass transfer is used for the packed column model. Two modeling
approaches are used for mass transfer in film: an enhancement factor
model and a diffusion-reaction model. The rigorous absorption and
stripping models have been successfully validated against experimental
results from an industrial and a laboratory pilot plant. A sensitivity
analysis is performed in order to emphasize the role of limiting phenomena
on the separation performance, which concludes that none of the phenomena
can be neglected. The interfacial area is the most sensitive parameter
on absorber performance, whereas the heat of desorption is the prevailing
parameter in the stripper. The CO2 equilibrium constant
is a sensitive parameter in both absorption and stripping units. The
two film models are compared and give similar results for the monoethanolamine
solvent. However, the comparison must be redone for each implemented
solvent since physicochemical properties are modified, e.g., reaction
kinetics, diffusion coefficients, and VLE constants. New insights
are given on the contribution of CO2 and H2O
on heat fluxes between phases for the absorber and the stripper. Especially,
water condensation and evaporation along the packing impact directly
the CO2 removal efficiency and reboiler heat duty.