Mathematical Modeling of CO2/CH4 Separation by Hollow Fiber Membrane Module Using Finite Difference Method

Authors

  • Ahmad Arabi Shamsabadi Petroleum University of Technology
  • Ali Kargari Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL), Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Mahshahr Campus, Mahshahr, Iran
  • Foroogh Farshadpour Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL), Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Mahshahr Campus, Mahshahr, Iran
  • Saeed Laki Membrane Processes Research Laboratory (MPRL), Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Mahshahr Campus, Mahshahr, Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6037.2012.01.01.3%20

Keywords:

Hollow fiber, modeling, CO2/CH4, operating parameter, membrane area

Abstract

Removal of CO2 in landfill gas recovery processes and fractured wells as well as its application in enhanced oil recovery and its environmental aspects are of interest. Also separation of CO2 from CH4 in Ethylene Oxide plant is an environmental policy of Marun Petrochemical Company. In the present work, a shell-fed hollow fiber module was modeled mathematically for CO2 separation from CH4. Finite difference method was used for solving the equations. Comparison between co-current and counter-current flow patterns showed that for all conditions, counter current pattern had better efficiency for CO2/CH4 separation. Influence of operating parameters such as feed pressure, permeate pressure, feed flow rate, fiber length and CO2 concentration of feed on separation efficiency of CO2/CH4 mixture was investigated. Also the effect of feed and permeate pressures on required membrane area showed that the membrane area increases by increasing permeate pressure and decreases by increasing feed pressure. The modeling offers valuable data about feasibility study and economical evaluation of a gas separation unit operation as a helpful unit in the industry.

References

Yampolskii Y, Freeman BD. Membrane gas separation. John Wiley &Sons, New York 2010. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470665626

Sohrabi MR, Marjani A, Morad, S, Davallo M, Shirazian, S. Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of CO2 transport through hollow-fiber membranes. Appl Math Modeling 2011; 35: 174-88. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2010.05.016

Al-Marzouqi MH, El-Naas MH, Marzouk SAM, et al. Modeling of CO2 absorption in membrane contactors. Sep Purif Tech 2008; 59: 286-93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2007.06.020

Khoo HH, Tan RBH. Life cycle investigation of CO2 recovery and sequestration. Environ Sci Tech 2006; 40: 4016-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/es051882a

Ji P, Caoa Y, Zhaoa H, et al. Preparation of hollow fiber poly (N, N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)– poly (ethylene glycol methyl ether methyl acrylate)/polysulfones composite membranes for CO2/N2 separation. J Membrane Sci 2009; 342: 190-97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2009.06.038

Basu S, Cano-Odena A, Vankelecom IFJ. Asymmetric membrane based on Matrimid® and polysulphone blends for enhanced permeance and stability in binary gas (CO2/CH4) mixture separations. Sep Purif Tech 2010; 75: 15-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2010.07.004

Basu S, Khan A, Cano-Odena A, Liu C, Vankelecom IFJ. Membrane based technologies for biogas separations. Chem Soci Rev 2010; 39: 750-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b817050a

Takht Ravanchi M, Kaghazchi T, Kargari A. Application of membrane separation processes in petrochemical industry: a review. Desalination 2009; 235(1-3): 199-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2007.10.042

Vu DQ, Koros WJ, Miller SJ. Mixed matrix membranes using carbon molecular sieves I. Preparation and experimental results. J Membrane Sci 2003; 211: 311-34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(02)00429-5

Sanaeepur H, Ebadi Amooghin A, Moghadassi AR, et al. CO2/CH4 Separation via Polymeric Blend Membrane. Iranian J Polym Sci Tech 2010; 23(1): 17-28.

Ebadi Amooghin A, Sanaeepur H, Moghadassi AR, et al. Modification of ABS Membrane by PEG for Capturing Carbon Dioxide from CO2/N2 Streams. Sep Sci Tech 2010; 45(10): 1385-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01496391003705631

Staudt-Bickela C, Koros WJ. Improvement of CO2/CH4 separation characteristics of polyimides by chemical crosslinking. J Membrane Sci 1999; 155: 145-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(98)00306-8

Xiao Y, Low BT, Hosseini SS, Chung TS, Paul DR. The strategies of molecular architecture and modification of polyimide-based membranes for CO2 removal from natural gas—A review. Prog Polym Sci 2009; 34: 561-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2008.12.004

Li Y, Chung TS, Xiao Y. Superior gas separation performance of dual-layer hollow fiber membranes with an ultrathin dense-selective layer. J Membrane Sci 2008; 325: 23-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2008.08.018

Soni V, Abildskov J, Jonsson G, Gani R. A general model for membrane-based separation processes. Comput Chem Eng 2009; 33: 644-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2008.08.004

Antonson CR, Gardner RJ, King CF, Ko DY. Analysis of gas separation by permeation in hollow fibers. Ind Eng Chem Process Design and Development 1977; 16(4): 463-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/i260064a005

Tessendorf S, Gani R, Michelsen ML. Modeling, simulation and optimization of membrane-based gas separation systems. Chem Eng Sci 1999; 54: 943-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2509(98)00313-3

Simons K, Nijmeijer K, Sala JG. CO2 sorption and transport behavior of ODPA-based polyetherimide polymer films. Polymer 2010; 51: 3907-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2010.06.031

Shokrian M, Sadrzadeh M, Mohammadi T. C3H8 separation from CH4 and H2 using a synthesized PDMS membrane: Experimental and neural network modeling. J Membrane Sci 2010; 346: 59-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2009.09.015

Weller S, Steiner WA. Engineering aspects of separation of gases: Fractional permeation through membranes. Chem Eng Prog 1950; 46(11): 585-90.

Boucif N, Majumdar S, Sirkar KK. Series solutions for a gas permeator with countercurrent and cocurrent flow. Ind Eng Chem Fundamentals 1984; 23(4): 470-80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/i100016a016

Boucif N, Sengupta A, Sirkar KK. Hollow-Fiber Gas Permeator with Countercurrent or Cocurrent Flow: Series Solution. Ind Eng Chem Fundamentals 1986; 25: 217-28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/i100022a007

Chern RT, Koros WJ, Fedkiw PS. Simulation of a hollow-fiber gas separator: The effects of process and design variables. Ind Eng Chem Process Design and Development 1985; 24: 1015-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/i200031a020

Rautenbach R, Dahm W. Simplified Calculation of Gas-Permeation Hollow-Fiber Modules for the Separation of Binary Mixtures. J Membrane Sci 1986; 28: 319-27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(00)82042-6

Krovvidi KR, Kovvali AS, Vemury S, Khan AA. Approximate solutions for gas permeators separating binary. J Membrane Sci 1992; 66: 103-18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0376-7388(92)87001-E

Kovvali AS, Vemury S, Admassu W. Modeling of Multi-component Countercurrent Gas Permeators. Ind Eng Chem Res 1994; 33: 896-903. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ie00028a016

Coker DT, Freeman BD, Fleming GK. Modeling multi component gas separation using hollow-fiber membrane contactors. AIChE J 1998; 44(6): 1289-302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aic.690440607

Coker DT, Allen T, Freeman BD, Fleming GK. Non-isothermal model for gas separation hollow-fiber membranes. AIChE J 1999; 45(7): 1451-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aic.690450709

Kaldis SP, Kapantaidakis GC, Sakellaropoulos GP. Simulation of multi-component gas separation in a hollow fiber membrane by orthogonal collocation — hydrogen recovery from refinery gases. J Membrane Sci 2000; 173: 61-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(00)00353-7

Zhao SY, Zheng HD, Wang LE. Modeling binary gas separation in hollow fiber membrane and solving by orthogonal collocation. Frontiers on separation science and technology proceedings of the 4th International Conference, China 2004.

Peer M, Kamali SM, Mahdiarfar M, Mohammadi T. Separation of hydrogen from carbon monoxide using a hollow fiber polyimide membrane: experimental and simulation. Chem Eng Tech 2007; 30(10): 1418-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ceat.200700173

Madaeni SS, Aminnejad A, Zahedi G. A new mathematical method to study CO2-CH4 separation in hollow fiber module. Indian J Chem Tech 2010; 17: 274-81.

Robeson LM. The upper bound revisited. J Membrane Sci 2008; 320: 390-400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2008.04.030

Bird RB, Stewart WE, Lightfoot EN. Transport phenomena. John Wiley &sons, New York 2002.

Sengupta A, Sirkar KK. Analysis and design of membrane permeators for gas separation. In: Membrane separations technology, principles and applications, Noble RD, Stern SA, editors. Netherlands: Elsevier Science B.V., 1995; pp. 499-552. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0927-5193(06)80013-6

Hoffman JD. Numerical methods for engineers and scientists. CRC press Taylor Francis Group 2001.

Nagel C, Günther-Schade K, Fritsch D, Strunskus T, Faupel F. Free volume and transport properties in highly selective polymer membranes. Macromolecules 2002; 35(6): 2071-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ma011028d

Downloads

Published

2012-10-05

How to Cite

Shamsabadi, A. A., Kargari, A., Farshadpour, F., & Laki, S. (2012). Mathematical Modeling of CO2/CH4 Separation by Hollow Fiber Membrane Module Using Finite Difference Method. Journal of Membrane and Separation Technology, 1(1), 19–29. https://doi.org/10.6000/1929-6037.2012.01.01.3

Issue

Section

Articles