1. Optimized Green Design of an Ethanolamine Reactor System
Gabriella Buba, Amanda Cortinas, Kyle Giubbini, James Griffith, Robert Johnson, Radina Khalid, and Jared Shull
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas
Objective
The objective of this project was to design
an ethanolamines plant that maximizes
benefits to the local community in Ulanqab,
using the principles of green chemistry.
Green Process Design
• Waste prevention with recycle loop
• Less hazardous chemical synthesis using
low temperature reaction
• Reduce CO2 emissions with MEA product
• Design for energy efficiency by using
excess water and ammonia to prevent
need for cooling
MEA CO2 Scrubber
• Recovered 95.36% of CO2 from
heating utilities furnace
• Uses 2.06% of EA Tech’s MEA
production to scrub CO2
Process DesignProcess Flow Diagram
Financial Overview Energy Analysis
Dr. Kenneth R. Cox
Professor Richard Strait
Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen
Acknowledgements
Adiabatic Plug Flow Reactor
• Size: 1400 L
• Feed: 8 tonne/hr at 50 C and 120 bar
• Feed Ratios:
• H2O:EO:NH3
• 1.5:1:15
Recycle
• Zero organic waste streams
• 99.88% Feed H2O
• 94.97% Feed NH3
Separations
•Vacuum distillation prevents product
degradation
•Essential to maintain temperatures
• <160 C for MEA
• <190 C for DEA and TEA
•Producing 11,000 tonne/yr EA
• 99% chemical grade MEA
• 6300 tonne/year
• 99% chemical grade DEA
• 3400 tonne/year
• 85% commercial grade TEA
• 1550 tonne/year
Total Savings
Electricity: 1%
Heat Integration: 20.44%Heating Utilities: 2800 kW
• Cogeneration turbine
provides electricity to EA
process
• Steam provides heating
to 250 C
Cold Utilities: 3800 kW
• 3 Refrigeration Cycles
• Propane provides
cooling to -40 C
Reverse Osmosis: 40 kW
• Makeup water 59 L/min
• All local
surface water
Product Uses
• MEA and DEA are widely used for
scrubbing of CO2 and H2S
• China is the leader in CCS & has several
pilot projects within close proximity
• TEA is utilized in cement production
processes, Ulan Cement Plant local buyer
MEA
MEA Regeneration
CO2 Rich Gas
CO2 Free Gas
Pure CO2
CO2
Adsorption
Vacuum
or Heating
MEA
MEA Scrubber: -435 kW
•Battery generation
• 526 kW
•Total energy input
• 89 kW
China – Inner Mongolia
• Excess wind power
• Access to local
water
• Rail transport to
major ports
China is incorporating wide scale Carbon
Capture and Storage (CCS) technology by
2030 to curb pollution.
Ulanqab
*Image courtesy of Greenpeace
H2O
1. Zero waste with total recycle
2. CO2 scrubbing through MEA
Product
3. Wind power
Summary