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    基于碳酸盐电解的空气CO2捕获利用系统技术经济性分析

    Techno-economic analysis of a carbonate electrolysis-based air CO2 capture and utilization system

    • 摘要: 随着全球变暖的加剧,减少大气CO2浓度迫在眉睫,但传统的碳捕获、利用和储存技术依赖高能耗的气态CO2纯化再生工艺,严重制约其经济性与规模化应用。碳酸盐电解技术虽然有望与碱性碳捕集技术耦合,通过直接电解捕集液(碳酸盐溶液),从而省略高能耗的纯化再生过程。但因碱性空气接触器需较高pH(≥11.5)保障捕集效率,而碳酸盐电解需要较低pH(≤9.5)提升CO2还原选择性,捕集效率与电解性能相互制约导致上述两种装置无法直连。为此,提出一种耦合碳酸盐电解与双极膜电渗析(Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis, BPMED)技术的空气CO2捕获利用集成系统,通过添加BPMED模块耦合空气接触器与电解槽,在绿电的驱动下实现了空气接触器与电解槽的匹配,与系统物料的循环。构建的技术经济模型显示,所构建的系统中电解槽设备及其辅助系统在资本支出中占据主导地位,其中高电子需求产物如乙烯的电解槽投资与运营成本显著高于其他产物。目前的BPMED膜成本及电耗成本致使系统的净现值(Net Present Value, NPV)低于气态CO2电解,并且六种目标产品(一氧化碳,甲酸,甲醇,乙烯,乙醇,正丙醇)均为负值。关键参数研究表明:BPMED膜成本的优化只会促使甲酸产生优异的经济性,超过气态二氧化碳系统。将电力成本降低到0.02美元/kWh,甲酸和一氧化碳NPV均超过气态系统。在多参数联合优化过程中,同步优化20%~60%的电价、电解槽电压、电流密度、法拉第效率、电解槽成本、BPMED膜成本、阳离子交换膜选择性及产物售价等八大关键参数可使产品全部盈利,甲酸产物率先实现盈利,而甲醇在全部参数提升的条件下最后突破盈亏平衡点。敏感性分析表明电价、产品售价、电解槽电压是系统最关键的3个影响因素。对于甲酸等标准化价格优势产物,售价波动对NPV的影响权重超越技术参数;而乙烯、乙醇等高能耗产物则对电力成本高度敏感。该发现指明系统优化需实施差异化策略:低电子需求产物应着力提升分离效率以放大售价优势,高电子需求产物则需优先突破电解能效瓶颈。未来技术开发应聚焦双极膜材料创新以降低电阻损耗,同时通过风光储一体化供电模式破解电力成本约束,从而推动CO2资源化利用从实验室创新向产业化落地跨越。

       

      Abstract: With the intensification of global warming, reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration is becoming increasingly urgent. However, conventional carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies rely on energy-intensive gaseous CO2 desorption and purification processes, severely limiting their economic viability and large-scale deployment. Carbonate electrolysis shows potential for coupling with alkaline carbon capture. This approach directly electrolyzes carbonate capture solutions, bypassing energy-intensive purification. However, alkaline capture systems depend on high pH (≥11.5) for efficient CO2 absorption. Electrolysis systems require low pH (≤9.5) for optimal CO2-to-fuel conversion. This mutual constraint prevents direct integration of the two systems. To resolve this, present study proposes an integrated system coupling carbonate electrolysis with Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPMED) for atmospheric CO2 capture and utilization. By incorporating a BPMED module between the air contactor and electrolyzer, the system achieves compatibility under renewable electricity driving force, enabling material circulation. The constructed techno-economic model reveals that within the proposed system, the electrolyzer equipment and its auxiliary systems dominate the capital expenditure. Specifically, the investment and operational costs for electrolyzer producing electron-intensive products like ethylene are significantly higher than those for other products. Current BPMED membrane costs and electricity consumption result in a Net Present Value (NPV) lower than that of gaseous CO2 electrolysis, with all six target products (carbon monoxide, formic acid, methanol, ethylene, ethanol, n-propanol) exhibiting negative NPVs. Key parameter analysis indicates: Optimizing BPMED membrane costs will only enhance the economic superiority of formic acid production over gaseous CO2 systems. By reducing electricity costs to 0.02 /kWh, both formic acid and carbon monoxide achieve higher net present value compared to gaseous systems. Through multi-parameter co-optimization (simultaneous 20%−60% enhancement of electricity price, electrolyzer voltage, current density, Faradaic efficiency, electrolyzer cost, BPMED membrane cost, cation-exchange membrane selectivity, and product selling price), profitability becomes achievable for all products. Formic acid is the first product to reach profitability, while methanol breaks even last under conditions requiring optimization across all parameters. Sensitivity analysis identifies electricity price, product selling price, and electrolyzer voltage as the three most critical influencing factors on system economics. For products with standardized pricing advantages like formic acid, fluctuations in selling price exert a stronger influence on NPV than technical parameters. Conversely, highly energy-intensive products like ethylene and ethanol are acutely sensitive to electricity costs. These findings underscore the necessity for differentiated optimization strategies: For low electron-demand products, efforts should focus on enhancing separation efficiency to amplify their price advantage. For high electron-demand products, the priority is breaking through the energy efficiency bottleneck in electrolysis. Future technology development should concentrate on innovations in bipolar membrane materials to reduce resistive losses, while simultaneously mitigating the constraint of electricity costs through integrated renewable (wind-photovoltaic-storage) power supply models. This dual approach is essential to propel the transition of CO2 resource utilization from laboratory innovation to industrial-scale implementation.

       

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