Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) of the Advanced Energy Technology Initiative (AETI)

Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) of the Advanced Energy Technology Initiative (AETI) initiated CO2 capture research in Phase I of the MGSC partnership program (2003-2005). A topical report on the "Assessment of Carbon Capture Options for Illinois Basin Carbon Dioxide Source" was completed in 2004. One of the main conclusions of the study was that the current available CO2 capture processes for coal-based power plants are energy intensive and thus cost prohibitive. Since then, the ARL team has initiated a R&D program aiming at developing novel processes and materials to reduce energy consumption for CO2 capture.

At present, three external awards are allowing ARL-AETI staff to conduct process and material development studies in both post-combustion and pre-combustion CO2 capture.

The development of a patent-pending Integrated Vacuum Carbonate Absorption Process (IVCAP) for post-combustion CO2 capture is currently supported by NETL/DOE (DE-NT0005498) and Illinois Clean Coal Institute (ICCI) (08-1/1.1B-3). IVCAP employs potassium carbonate as a solvent, uses waste/low quality steam from the power plant for CO2 stripping, and employs a biocatalyst, carbonic anhydrase enzyme, for promoting the CO2 absorption into carbonate solution. The multi-year project (10/1/2008-4/30/2012) led by AETI and joined by Calgon Carbon Corporation aims at evaluating the proof-of-concept of the process and generating the engineering data required for further pilot testing. More description of the project is available at the DOE/NETL website: Download PDF

ARL-AETI staff are also collaborating with URS Corporation to develop a novel pre-combustion CO2 capture process. The three-year project (1/1/2010-1/1/2013) is supported by NETL/DOE (DE-FE-0000465) and ICCI (10/US-2). The team is investigating a concept in which a dry sorbent technology is configured to combine the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction with CO2 removal for coal gasification systems. Project objectives include determination of optimal CO2 sorbent properties by a combination of computational methods and laboratory-/bench-scale syntheses of CO2 sorbents using cutting-edge material preparation techniques. More detail is included in the factsheet of the project at the DOE/NETL website: Download PDF

Just recently the DOE/NETL has selected the AETI to develop a Hot Carbonate Absorption Process with Crystallization-Enabled High Pressure Stripping (Hot-CAP) for CO2 capture from coal-fired power plants. ICCI is providing cash cost share in support of the project. The ARL-AETL staff joined by Energy Commercialization, LLC will perform laboratory and bench-scale studies aimed at generating process engineering and scale-up data that can help evaluate technical feasibility and commercial competitiveness of Hot-CAP as a viable post-combustion CO2 capture technology. The project will start at 1/1/2011 and end at 1/1/2014. The DOE/NETL award will allow the team to advance the Hot CAP technology to a pilot-scale level within three years. The announcement is available at the DOE/NETL website: Download PDF


Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium
Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium
Advanced Energy
Technology Initiative

University of Illinois
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