CO₂ absorption/desorption performance enhancement by nanoabsorbents

Experiments on CO₂ absorption were carried out in Taylor-Couette type absorber at low rotational speeds. The base absorbent used is methanol. Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ nanoparticles are combined with methanol to produce nanoabsorbents with the purpose of enhancing the absorption of the CO₂ gas. The system is equipped with a mass flow controller at the inlet and a mass flow meter at the outlet to obtain the absorption rate. The Taylor-Couette absorber performance is compared to a modified version in which trays were added to enhance the absorption rate by increasing the residence time of the gas phase. Experiments in co-current and countercurrent flow modes are carried out. It is found that the CO₂ absorption rate enhances up to 6% and 8%, respectively, by using SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ nanoparticles. In addition, the two-phase flow pattern of the CO₂ gas bubbles and the liquid methanol in the Taylor-Couette absorber and the modified version is analyzed with the high-speed camera pictures.