Research on the Application of Hollow Fiber Membrane Reactor for CO2 Absorption Based on Amino Acid Salt Solution in Carbon Capture Energy Tower

Zhaochuan Hou; Liqing Yang; Yang Zhu; Heinz-axel Guo

doi:10.65582/gd.2026.003

Authors

Zhaochuan Hou Beijing Twing Zhihui Technology Development Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.
Liqing Yang SynMemb Environmental Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China.
Yang Zhu Yuan-Neng (Suzhou) Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Suzhou, China.
Heinz-axel Guo Sino-German College Applied Sciences Tongji University, Shanghai, China.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65582/gd.2026.003

Keywords:

Amino Acid Salt Solution, Direct Air Carbon Capture, Energy Tower, Hollow Fiber Membrane Reactor (Contactor), Membrane Distillation

Abstract

This paper addresses the current situation of high energy consumption and high costs in DACC factories. It proposes to use the existing closed cooling towers in civilian buildings as the target for the transformation of carbon capture energy towers, resulting in a significant reduction in equipment investment in the transformation plan. The combined membrane absorption technology of liquid absorption and membrane separation is adopted to carry out multi-functional transformation of the closed cooling towers. On the basis of retaining the original heat exchange coils, an internal cooling carbon capture module is added, transforming the cooling tower used for air conditioning from a single cooling water heat dissipation function to a device integrating carbon capture, cooling tower, and heat source tower functions. Inside the carbon capture energy tower, the hollow fiber membrane contactor is embedded in a modular form, with air flowing in the shell side, while amino acid salt solutions flow inside the hollow fiber membrane filaments. To achieve better absorption effect and lower regeneration temperature, the absorbent adopts an amino acid salt solution system, and membrane distillation technology is used to achieve low-temperature regeneration at 70-80 °C. CO2 passes through the pores with diameters of several tens of nanometers in the hollow fiber membrane, significantly shortening the chemical absorption reaction rate and greatly improving the carbon capture efficiency, reducing the energy consumption of electricity and heat from the traditional 3.0 GJ/t CO2 to around 1.8 GJ/t CO2. By setting a capillary heat exchanger inside the hollow fiber contactor to remove the heat from the absorption reaction, the purpose of providing heat for the air conditioning end devices in winter is achieved.

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