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

Solvent regeneration is a pivotal component in CO 2 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 CO 2 is performed. The most important process conditions are studied experimentally, including gas flow rate (15 to 25 N m 3 /h), liquid flow rate (20–40 kg/h), and CO 2 loading of the MEA aqueous solution (0.28–0.49 mol of CO 2 /mol of MEA). In this operational range, the desorption efficiency peaks at 74%. As a first assessment of its use, this work adopts the CO 2 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 CO 2 release rate in the GLVR significantly surpasses that of benchmark technology, demonstrating its potential as a more efficient alternative to solvent regeneration technology.