Experimental Evaluation of the Efficiency of Membrane Cascades Type of “Continuous Membrane Column” in the Carbon Dioxide Capture Applications

The performance of a three-module single-compressor membrane cascade of the “continuous membrane column” type in separation of a ternary gas mixture close in composition to power plant flue gas (N2/O2/CO2 = 84/9.6/6.4 vol %) has been experimentally evaluated. Within the scope of the study, the operation of each of the sections of the device, stripping and enrichment, has been analyzed and the relations between the compositions of gas stream taken out of these sections and the ratio of flow rate of these streams to the feed flow rate of the membrane cascade have been determined. In addition, the effectiveness of carbon dioxide capture has been assessed. The CO2 purity achieved was as high as 91 vol %. The prospects of using the device under study for capturing carbon dioxide from power plant flue gas have been demonstrated.