Ultrasound Enhanced CO2 Stripping from Lean MEA Solution at Pressures from 1 to 2.5 bar(a)

Ultrasound was introduced to assist CO2 stripping from lean 30 wt% MEA aqueous solutions in a reboiler. The effect of ultrasound on CO2 stripping was investigated at 2.5 bar(a) under two pressure control methods, solenoid operated on/off valve (OOV) and manual needle valve (NV) method. The results show that the CO2 stripping rate can be improved significantly when ultrasound is introduced. This is particularly so at higher pressures for which the driving temperature difference with the steam is smallest A reduction in pressure obviously also has a strong effect on CO2 stripping.