Nations globally are aiming for net-zero greenhouse gases by 2050. Carbon capture, utilization, and supply (CCUS) is one of the most practical solutions available for large-scale emissions reductions for the oil & gas, power generation, cement, and chemical industries. The development of CO2 transport and storage networks for industrial CCUS is now being supported by governments and happening at scale in many parts of the world.
Effective process design requires domain expertise along with a sound technical understanding of the chemistry, not only to design and operate but also optimize and troubleshoot operations. The insight gained in examining behavior like CO2 solubility and other acid gases in water as temperature, pressure and composition change, especially in extreme conditions is essential.
Enhanced modeling capabilities for CO2 transportation
A key challenge with CO2 transport in carbon steel pipelines and storage containers is corrosion due to impurities trapped in the CO2. These impurities, when in contact with each other react to form highly corrosive acids. Since carbon steel is the most cost-efficient material for CO2 pipelines, mitigating risk requires the management of impurities within safe limits in dense flow conditions.
OLI’s unique simulation capabilities have been significantly expanded in v11.5, providing state-of-the-art predictions of corrosion and solids formation that significantly impact equipment reliability during CO2 transportation.
Four new categories of CO2 transportation chemistries enable the prediction of the formation of nitric and sulfuric acid, which are extremely corrosive to carbon steel, allowing for accurate risk assessments in pipelines as well as optimal materials selection that makes CO2 transportation and storage safer and more reliable for the oil & gas and power generation industry. The new and unique sulphuric and nitric acid chemistries and additional carbonyl sulfide, ammonia and acetaldehyde chemistries, accurately predict the potential of pipe failure in CO2 transportation by modeling the impact of SOx, NOx and other impurities on corrosion and solids formation.
Benefits of process simulation in carbon capture
Carbon capture process design and operation continues to be a major challenge in the future economics of CCUS. OLI has devoted considerable research and development in carbon capture chemistries focusing on improving process design simulations with the goal of reducing design costs and improving efficiency and reliability in operations.
The new mixed salt + amine system – combination of ammonia, potassium carbonate and MDEA – chemistry models CO2 capture with existing unit operations that enhance cost effectiveness and is unique to OLI’s software. Only OLI has the combination of Ammonia, CO2 and Urea chemistries to accurately model the CO2 partitioning to the vapor phase and other non-aqueous liquids as a function of temperature, pressure, and acid concentrations to effectively capture CO2. The ammonia/sodium hydroxide amine solvent in V11.5 provides accurate predictions of the solubility of ammonia in caustic solutions.
OLI expertise in CCUS process design
Chemistry expertise is crucial to the success of carbon capture process design due to the multifaceted nature of the practice. Complex chemical behavior of multi-component chemical systems and their associated process flow are often unpredictable leading to unreliable, hazardous and costly operations. Along with the development of new chemistries available in v11.5, OLI has created a team of expert consultants in thermophysical modeling, process simulation and domain understanding to develop custom models of capture processes for design, optimize materials selection, improve asset integrity and maximize operational efficiency. To find out more about OLI’s expertise in the field of CCUS please register to view the on-demand Spotlight webinar, presented by Dr. Diana Miller here.
Accelerate digital transformation for CCUS
The new capabilities in v11.5 can be leveraged by OLI’s Cloud Platform (Cloud APIs and Cloud AppBuilder) to expand access to electrolyte insights to all company stakeholders, outside of traditional R&D departments. These capabilities offer real-time insights and can automate operations performance with integration to data historians for digital transformation projects.
Available to download now
OLI Systems platform version 11.5 is now available to download for existing users. If you have any questions on the update, please contact your account manager for support.
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