Process Intensification of CO2 Desorption in a Gas–Liquid Vortex Reactor

Solvent regeneration is a pivotal component in CO2 capture technology, primarily due to its high energy consumption, which constitutes the most significant cost factor. In the present study, the application of the gas–liquid vortex reactor (GLVR) as a new process intensification (PI) technology for solvent regeneration is introduced. An experimental study of the regeneration of a 30-weight percentage (wt %) monoethanolamine (MEA) aqueous solution loaded with CO2 is performed. The most important process conditions are studied experimentally, including gas flow rate (15 to 25 N m3/h), liquid flow rate (20–40 kg/h), and CO2 loading of the MEA aqueous solution (0.28–0.49 mol of CO2/mol of MEA). In this operational range, the desorption efficiency peaks at 74%. As a first assessment of its use, this work adopts the CO2 release rate per unit volume of the reactor as a key performance indicator to compare GLVR technology with other PI technologies. Our findings indicate that the CO2 release rate in the GLVR significantly surpasses that of benchmark technology, demonstrating its potential as a more efficient alternative to solvent regeneration technology.