Exergy analysis of heat pump integration in solvent-based CO2 capture

CO2 capture; Exergy; Heat pump integration; Pinch analysis; Stripper pressure; Absorption heat pumps; Decarbonisation; Exergy Analysis; Heat pumps; Heat requirements; Solvent based; Energy Engineering and Power Technology; Mechanical Engineering; Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes; Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Abstract :

[en] CO2 capture is required for the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate industries and for enabling negative emissions. Solvent-based capture is the most mature technology, but its deployment is limited by the significant heat requirement associated with solvent regeneration. Heat pumping emerges as a potential solution since waste heat is plentiful in the process. This study explores the benefits of heat pump integration through the lens of exergy minimisation. With a capture system integrated to a biomass-fired cogeneration plant as a case study, both vapour-compression and absorption heat pumps are investigated, either to supply the main reboiler or to be integrated as a side heat load in the stripper. Heat pump integration is performed by optimally selecting cold sources identified thanks to pinch analysis. In addition, low-pressure stripper operation is extensively studied because of the conflicting effects of reduced temperature lift and increased reboiler duty. While direct heat integration opportunities are almost non-existent, heat pump integration is found to systematically reduce the exergy requirements of the process by 8% to 25%. Among the investigated options, absorption heat pumps provide the largest exergy reductions. The heat pump integration procedure is also found to be highly sensitive to assumptions.

Disciplines :

Energy
Chemical engineering

Author, co-author :

Beguin, Brieuc ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Chemical engineering

Léonard, Grégoire ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Chemical engineering

Language :

English

Title :

Exergy analysis of heat pump integration in solvent-based CO2 capture

Publication date :

August 2026

Journal title :

Applied Thermal Engineering

ISSN :

1359-4311

eISSN :

1873-5606

Publisher :

Elsevier Ltd

Volume :

303

Pages :

132313

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S1359431126026219?httpAccept=text/xml

Funders :

Wallonia
Fund for Research and Training in Industry and Agriculture

Funding text :

This publication is an extended version of a selected paper at the conference Carnot 2024 (Belgian Symposium of Thermodynamics), organised in Liège. This publication is supported by the Walloon Region through a FRIA grant.

Available on ORBi :

since 06 October 2026

Statistics

Number of views

11 (1 by ULiège)

Number of downloads

7 (0 by ULiège)

More statistics

Scopus citations^®

Scopus citations^®
without self-citations

OpenAlex citations

Bibliography

Bui M, S. Adjiman C, Bardow A, J. Anthony E, Boston A, Brown S, et al. Carbon capture and storage (CCS): the way forward. Energy & Environmental Science 2018;11:1062–176. doi:10.1039/C7EE02342A.
IPCC. Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC; 2022.
Knudsen JN, Jensen JN, Vilhelmsen P-J, Biede O. Experience with CO2 capture from coal flue gas in pilot-scale: Testing of different amine solvents. Energy Procedia 2009;1:783–90. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.104.
Cousins A, Feron P, Hayward J, Jiang K, Zhai R. Further Assessment of Emerging CO₂ Capture Technologies for the Power Sector and their Potential to Reduce Costs. IEAGHG; 2019.
Cousins A, Wardhaugh LT, Feron PHM. A survey of process flow sheet modifications for energy efficient CO2 capture from flue gases using chemical absorption. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2011;5:605–19. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2011.01.002.
Le Moullec Y, Neveux T, Al Azki A, Chikukwa A, Hoff KA. Process modifications for solvent-based post-combustion CO2 capture. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2014;31:96–112. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2014.09.024.
Annex 58 (IEA Heat Pumping Technologies). High-Temperature Heat Pumps – Task 1: Technologies. 2023.
Arpagaus C, Bless F, Uhlmann M, Schiffmann J, Bertsch SS. High temperature heat pumps: Market overview, state of the art, research status, refrigerants, and application potentials. Energy 2018;152:985–1010. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2018.03.166.
Jiang J, Hu B, Wang RZ, Deng N, Cao F, Wang C-C. A review and perspective on industry high-temperature heat pumps. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2022;161:112106. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2022.112106.
Yoo J, Estrada-Perez CE, Choi B-H. Investigation of heat pump technologies for high-temperature applications above 250°C. Applied Energy 2025;384:125384. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.125384.
Kim G, Jung HS, Park S, Kang YT. Performance analysis of type 1 and type 2 hybrid absorption heat pump using novel working pairs. Energy 2022;241:122872. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2021.122872.
Herold KE, Radermacher R, Klein SA. Absorption Chillers and Heat Pumps. Second edition. London New York; Boca Raton: CRC Press; 2016. doi:10.1201/b19625.
Cudok F, Giannetti N, Ciganda JLC, Aoyama J, Babu P, Coronas A, et al. Absorption heat transformer - state-of-the-art of industrial applications. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2021;141:110757. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.110757.
Hume SA, Kuczynska AM. Regeneration of Capture Medium. WO/2011/073672, 2011.
Guo L, Ding Y, Liao Q, Zhu X, Wang H. A new heat supply strategy for CO2 capture process based on the heat recovery from turbine exhaust steam in a coal-fired power plant. Energy 2022;239:121817. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2021.121817.
Wilk V, Leibetseder D, Zauner C, Rath A, Schwaiger M. Improving Energy Efficiency of Carbon Capture Processes with Heat Pumps. Int Sustain Ener Conf Proc 2024;1. doi:10.52825/isec.v1i.1083.
Alabdulkarem A, Hwang Y, Radermacher R. Multi-functional heat pumps integration in power plants for CO2 capture and sequestration. Applied Energy 2015;147:258–68. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.003.
Jensen EH, Andreasen A, Jørsboe JK, Andersen MP, Hostrup M, Elmegaard B, et al. Electrification of amine-based CO2 capture utilizing heat pumps. Carbon Capture Science & Technology 2024;10:100154. doi:10.1016/j.ccst.2023.100154.
Poulidis L, Prousalis T, Seferlis P, Papadopoulos AI. Vapor absorption, compression and cascade heat pumps for carbon capture plants: Multi-criteria analysis and techno-economic assessment with different working fluids. Energy 2024;306:132433. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2024.132433.
Zhang K, Liu Z, Li Y, Li Q, Zhang J, Liu H. The improved CO2 capture system with heat recovery based on absorption heat transformer and flash evaporator. Applied Thermal Engineering 2014;62:500–6. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2013.10.007.
Zhang K, Liu Z, Huang S, Li Y. Process integration analysis and improved options for an MEA CO2 capture system based on the pinch analysis. Applied Thermal Engineering 2015;85:214–24. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.03.073.
Higgins SJ, Liu YA. CO2 Capture Modeling, Energy Savings, and Heat Pump Integration. Ind Eng Chem Res 2015;54:2526–53. doi:10.1021/ie504617w.
Sartor K, Quoilin S, Dewallef P. Simulation and optimization of a CHP biomass plant and district heating network. Applied Energy 2014;130:474–83. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.01.097.
Léonard G. Optimal design of a CO2 capture unit with assessment of solvent degradation. University of Liège, 2013.
Molina-Fernández C, Kreit P, Beguin B, Bekhti S, Calberg C, Kalbusch J, et al. An Automated CO2 Capture Pilot Plant at ULiège: A Platform for the Validation of Process Models and Advanced Control, Ghent, Belgium: 2025, p. 423–9. doi:10.69997/sct.143194.
Léonard G, Crosset C, Toye D, Heyen G. Influence of process operating conditions on solvent thermal and oxidative degradation in post-combustion CO2 capture. Computers & Chemical Engineering 2015;83:121–30. doi:10.1016/j.compchemeng.2015.05.003.
Fluxys. Carbon Specification Proposal. Fluxys; 2022.
Romeo LM, Bolea I, Lara Y, Escosa JM. Optimization of intercooling compression in CO2 capture systems. Applied Thermal Engineering 2009. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2008.08.010.
Linnhoff B, Flower JR. Synthesis of heat exchanger networks: I. Systematic generation of energy optimal networks. AIChE Journal 1978;24:633–42. doi:10.1002/aic.690240411.
Kemp IC. Pinch analysis for energy and carbon footprint reduction: user guide to process integration for the efficient use of energy. Third edition. Kidlington, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2020.
Dimian AC, Bildea CS, Kiss AA. Applied Energy Integration. Integrated Design and Simulation of Chemical Processes, vol. 35, Elsevier; 2014, p. 565–98. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-62700-1.00014-0.
Dhole VR, Linnhoff B. Distillation column targets. Computers & Chemical Engineering 1993;17:549–60. doi:10.1016/0098-1354(93)80043-M.
Jansen S, Woudstra N. Understanding the exergy of cold: theory and practical examples. IJEX 2010;7:693. doi:10.1504/IJEX.2010.035516.
Knorr L, Schlosser F, Horstmann N, Divkovic D, Meschede H. Flexible operation and integration of high-temperature heat pumps using large temperature glides. Applied Energy 2024;368:123417. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.123417.
Sharonov VE, Aristov YuI. Chemical and adsorption heat pumps: Comments on the second law efficiency. Chemical Engineering Journal 2008;136:419–24. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2007.07.026.
Çengel YA, Boles MA, Kanoğlu M. Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach. Tenth Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2024.
Warudkar SS, Cox KR, Wong MS, Hirasaki GJ. Influence of stripper operating parameters on the performance of amine absorption systems for post-combustion carbon capture: Part I. High pressure strippers. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control 2013;16:342–50. doi:10.1016/j.ijggc.2013.01.050.
Beguin B, Van Lierop T, Léonard G. Optimal Integration of a High-Temperature Heat Pump in a CO2 Capture Pilot Plant, Liège: 2024.
Soares Pinto F, Zemp R, Jobson M, Smith R. Thermodynamic optimisation of distillation columns. Chemical Engineering Science 2011;66:2920–34. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2011.03.022.
Thermodynamics Research Center, NIST Boulder Laboratories, Chris Muzny director. Thermodynamics Source Database. In: Linstrom PJ, Mallard WG, editors. NIST Chemistry WebBook, NIST Standard Reference Database 69, Gaithersburg MD: National Institute of Standards and Technology; n.d., p. 20899.
Simonsen KR, Hansen DS, Pedersen S. Challenges in CO2 transportation: Trends and perspectives. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2024;191:114149. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2023.114149.
Ayou DS, Wu W, Coronas A. Absorption-based heat pumps for decarbonization of industrial process heating: performance, current status, and new developments. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress 2025;62:103679. doi:10.1016/j.tsep.2025.103679.
Bakhtiari B, Fradette L, Legros R, Paris J. Retrofit of absorption heat pumps into manufacturing processes: Implementation guidelines. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering 2010;88:839–48. doi:10.1002/cjce.20360.
Sun J, Fu L, Zhang S, Hou W. A mathematical model with experiments of single effect absorption heat pump using LiBr–H2O. Applied Thermal Engineering 2010;30:2753–62. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2010.07.032.
Sözen A, Altıparmak D, Usta H. Development and testing of a prototype of absorption heat pump system operated by solar energy. Applied Thermal Engineering 2002;22:1847–59. doi:10.1016/S1359-4311(02)00109-6.
Ma X, Chen J, Li S, Sha Q, Liang A, Li W, et al. Application of absorption heat transformer to recover waste heat from a synthetic rubber plant. Applied Thermal Engineering 2003;23:797–806. doi:10.1016/S1359-4311(03)00011-5.
Davis J, Rochelle G. Thermal degradation of monoethanolamine at stripper conditions. Energy Procedia 2009;1:327–33. doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2009.01.045.