Optimized Green Design of an Ethanolamine Reactor SystemGabriella 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

AdsorptionVacuum

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