Optimal Design and Operation of Solid Sorbent Direct Air Capture Processes at Varying Ambient Conditions

The economic, environmental, and energetic performance of direct air capture (DAC) processes based on solid sorbents depends significantly ambient conditions the availability renewable resources. High temperature or low humidity leads to higher energy consumption lower CO2 productivity; lack resources may make process not viable. With this work, we investigated how sorbent-based plants varies when changing system should be optimally designed operated match time-dependent variations. To end, formulated a new modeling framework, where thermodynamic adsorption is bridged mixed integer linear optimization via portable model DAC. vacuum-temperature swing cycle, whose was obtained with rate-based at varying for an exemplary sorbent representative different amine-functionalized materials. optimal design operation were (i) stand-alone DAC installed three geographical locations (ii) embedded in multi-energy hub aimed supplying demand from We found that can adjust operating variables according weather profile produced flexibly over time, example, by adopting buffer storage tank. Other strategies are suboptimal but might require less sophisticated control systems. Moreover, results suggest capturing costs smaller cold humid conditions. This conclusion holds both integrated However, latter, favorable only abundant available supplied costs, wind farms. These conclusions remain true wide range technical cost assumptions.