CO2 Adsorption Experiment

Experimental design

An experimental setup shown in Plate XXX was designed in this project to ascertain the
CO2 adsorption capacity of AC at post-combustion conditions following Sievert's law
(Arash Helmi, 2013). Firstly, a flowline of length 59.06 inches and diameter was set as a
passage for CO2 gas from the storage cylinder to the Staging Manifold (SM) of length 8
inches and diameter 2.16 inches, as shown in Fig. XXX

In SM, the pressure of CO2 was gradually allowed to build up to post-combustion conditions
(0.15–1 bar). Secondly, the water bath containing Reactor (R) shown in Plate xxx and
highlighted in Fig xxx was connected to V1 through a flow line of length 13 inches and
diameter. Finally, a vacuum pump of 1 horsepower capacity was connected to the flow line
of length 47 inches and diameter located between the CO2 storage cylinder and V1 to
evacuate CO2 out of the flow loop at the end of each sorption cycle carried out at a
particular pressure and temperature.

Plate xxx. Experimental Setup for evaluation of CO2 adsorption capacity

 Plate xxx. Reactors for storing adsorbents

Experimental precautions

To successfully experiment, the following precautions were taken;

1. During the fabrication of the Staging Manifold, thread tapes and modified acrylic
adhesive were used to seal openings before and after covering them with caps to avoid any
form of leakage from the system.

2. An equilibration time of 15 minutes was allowed for CO2 gas to exert constant pressure
in the Staging Manifold (V1) to attain equilibrium.

3. CO2 gas was bled off from the experimental setup carefully using a vacuum pump at the
end of each sorption when the adsorbent had become saturated with CO 2 to begin a new
sorption cycle.

4. The reactor was allowed to heat up to an equilibrium temperature in the water bath for
30 minutes before the adsorption process was allowed to occur.

5. The adsorption process was allowed to occur for 40 minutes in the flowline to ensure
that adsorbents have adequate retention time to adsorb CO2 to their surfaces at each
sorption cycle.

6. Personal protective equipment was used throughout the experiments.

Experimental procedure

Firstly, a vacuum pump (VP) was carefully used to remove air molecules from the air-tight
apparatus to ensure that there were no other gases in the system before the adsorption
process. Thereafter, the dosing valve (DV) and bleeding valve (BV) were shut while the
inlet valve (IV) was opened for CO2 gas passage. Then, a specific mass of adsorbent (CS =
1.08g, AC = 1.08g), was measured using a weighing balance and put inside the reactor (V2)
to occupy its volume.

Then, CO2 gas was carefully flowed into the Staging Manifold (V1) from the CO2 gas
cylinder (CGC) while DV and BV were shut so pressure could build up in V1 to a specific
pressure of interest (P1 – 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 8.0, 10.0, and 15.0 psi). After that, IV was
quickly shut in to maintain constant pressure in V1; the staging manifold remained shut for
15 minutes to probe for leakages via any noticeable pressure drop read by a pressure
gauge (PG). Afterward, equilibration temperature was attained for 30 minutes, and DV was
carefully opened so that CO2 gas could flow in V2 immersed in a water bath (WB) kept
constant at a particular temperature, initiating contact with adsorbents for the adsorption
process to occur.

A period of 60 minutes was allowed for proper adsorption to occur in V2, and the final
pressure read by PG was recorded and denoted P2. Thereafter, DV was shut and BV was
opened to allow for CO2 entry from CGC into V1 until pressure built up to a pressure of
interest, and the experiment was repeated. At the end of each sorption cycle done under
increments of pressure and constant temperature, DV was shut in and V1 detached from
the apparatus. After that, the apparatus was sealed, and residual gas molecules were
sucked out using VP. A certain mass of adsorbent was re-measured and placed in V1 (which
occupies its volume), and the experiment was repeated as described above. Temperatures
used in this experiment are 26oC, 40oC, and 70oC while pressures of interest are 5 psi, 10
psi, and 15 psi