Carbon Capture in Molten Salts - Prototype

About this project

<p>The realized project concerns a new innovative technology for the capture of CO2 in molten salt media. Nowadays, on the market, there is no technology that would capture CO2 generated in industrial processes in such a fast, effective and selective manner as planned in this project. The innovative concept of the project is to build a prototype of a two-chamber reactor, whose continuous operation will allow for selective capture of CO2 from industrial gases. The project aims at performing, testing and operating the prototype of a two-chamber reactor for carbon capture in molten salts. Prior to the construction of a two-chamber reactor, in order to test the assumptions of mass flow between low- and high-temperature chambers, a simulation based on the computer software will be performed. At the same time, based on the simulation results as well as the knowledge and experience of scientists from AGH and NMBU, a prototype of the reactor will be designed. Finally, based on the results of the design and simulation, the two-chamber reactor will be constructed. The construction and testing of the prototype in a laboratory environment is the last stage before the commercialization of this technology. The project sets itself an ambitious goal, which is the transition from fundamental research to the prototype scale allowing the development of a new product in the form of a device to reduce the CO2 emissions. This is especially important because of rapidly growing problems with global warming. The added value will be the improvement of the environment (by reducing the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere).&nbsp;</p>

Bilateral cooperation results

The project was carried out in cooperation with a Norwegian partner, the Faculty of Science and Technology from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Three scientists from the Norwegian side actively participated in it. The benefits of cooperating with the Norwegian partner include primarily the use of existing knowledge about CCMS technology with the institution that invented, patented, and has conducted and continues to conduct research on its further development. Frequent online working meetings and steering committee meetings served as a forum for exchanging views on current results, as well as an excellent form of mutual consultation, experience, and opinion exchange. The Norwegian partners carried out tasks WP2, WP3, and WP4 (jointly with AGH), involving the study of material corrosion for reactor construction, the impact of industrial gas components on the CO2 capture process, and the design and evaluation of reactor prototype performance. These tasks were crucial regarding the durability of CCMS reactor elements in contact with the aggressive environment of molten fluoride-chloride salts and the practical application possibilities of the device. The Norwegian partners examined a wide spectrum of candidates among ceramic and metallic materials. The benefits gained from the collaboration with the Norwegian partner included knowledge, experience, and the results of experimental work conducted in the NMBU laboratory. As part of the project, there were mutual visits from Norwegian partners to AGH and AGH staff to NMBU. Face-to-face meetings improved knowledge and understanding and facilitated direct exchange of experiences. At the bilateral level, scientific cooperation was strengthened and deepened, and both sides expressed a willingness to continue collaboration on the development of CCMS technology and other issues related to the use of molten salts in environmental protection issues.

Project partners

• Norwegian University of Life Sciences Donor project partner· Norway