Simulation and Cost Optimization of different Heat Exchangers for CO₂ Capture

The industrial deployment of amine-based CO₂ capture technology requires large investments as well as extensive energy supply for desorption. Therefore, the need for efficient cost and economic analysis aimed at CO₂ capture investment and operating costs is imperative. Aspen HYSYS simulations of an 85% CO₂ absorption and desorption process for flue gas from cement industry, followed by cost estimation have been performed. This is to study the cost implications of different plants options. Each plant option has a different lean/rich heat exchanger type. Cost optimisation of the different heat exchangers is also done in this work. Three different shell and tube and two plate and frame heat exchangers have been examined. The minimum CO₂ capture cost of €57.9/ton CO₂ is obtained for a capture plant option having a gasketed-plate heat exchanger with ?T min of 5 oC as the lean/rich heat exchanger. The use of plate and frame heat exchangers will result in considerable CO₂ capture cost reduction.