Thermal Swing Adsorption Process for Carbon Dioxide Capture and Recovery: Modeling, Simulation, Parameters Estimability, and Identification

In one of our previous studies, several experimental measurements were carried out on a thermal swing adsorption (TSA) process (adsorption and desorption steps) used for the capture of CO2 from a CO2/N-2 mixture. The present study deals with a two-dimensional modeling and simulation of the aforementioned TSA process. The models are described by partial differential equations (PDEs) including conservation equations, models for equation of state, equilibrium, thermodynamic, and transport propeties. The resulting models involve different unknown parameters to be estimated from the available experimental measurements. An estimability analysis was carried out in order to determine which parameters are able to be estimated from the available experimental results. The most estimable parameters are then identified, and the less estimable parameters are fixed from previous works of from literature. The resulting models are implemented and solved within Comsol Multiphysics software. The results show that the model predictions fit quite well with the experimental results.