A new model-aided approach for the design of packed columns for CO2 absorption in aqueous NH3 solutions

•Absorption of CO2 with NH3 in packed beds is investigated.•A novel algorithm based on a dynamic model is proposed to design the packed bed.•The underlying model considers mass transfer and ion speciation in liquid phase.•The algorithms are experimentally validated under different operating conditions.•Low computational loads are needed to design the column according to this method. A novel model-based approach to design packed beds for CO2 absorption with NH3 is proposed and experimentally validated. The two-film theory is adopted to model gas/liquid mass transfer while the thermodynamic equilibrium among ion species is considered in the liquid. Such strategy allows to simulate both CO2 absorption and NH3 evaporation, that represent the most important aspects to improve capture efficiency and process cost-effectiveness. The resulting ODEs system is a two boundary-value problem which is solved by means of the shooting method. The model is then exploited to develop a new algorithm that, based on the adopted operating conditions, evaluates the packed bed height as a function of the desired capture efficiency. The height calculated for different combinations of operating conditions is successfully compared with the real height of the experimental column, thus confirming the reliability of the developed tool which can be run with very low computational loads.