Modelling of a DAC process

Direct Air Capture (DAC) processes have recently gained a lot of interest, as they could play a major role in achieving carbon neutrality. The carbon dioxide that is obtained from such processes, can be used in power-to-gas and power-to-liquid applications such as the generation of methane or methanol and help to reduce the use of fossil fuel within the chemical industry. Many studies also suggest that it will be necessary to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce the effects of climate change. Different technologies exist to enable carbon capture, most of them including ad- and absorption processes. At TLK Energy, we model this kind of systems in Modelica using our TIL Adsorption Add-On or our Process Systems Library.

The goal of this thesis is to create a dynamic model of a DAC system and optimize it. The model will be set-up in Modelica using the libraries mentioned previously. Once it is modelled, the DAC system will be evaluated for various weather conditions and locations using numerical optimization. To enable this optimization, the simulation needs to be fast and robust. The results will then be compared to those obtained in a previous thesis for another type of DAC process.

Tasks

• Literature research on DAC systems
• Modelling of the chosen DAC process with Modelica
• Optimization of the process
• Analysis and visualization of the results
• Comparison of the results with those obtained in a previous thesis

Requirements

• Systemic way of thinking
• Background in energy or process systems engineering needed
• Interest in modelling and simulation

Framework

• Master thesis, duration: 6 months
• Written elaboration of the thesis in English or German
• Insight into industrial practice

What we offer

As a modern company between science and industry, TLK Energy actively shapes technology transfer. With a young, motivated team, we work on transferring future-oriented solutions from research into practice and thus making the energy world a little more efficient every day. In our central office in Aachen, we rely on open interaction with each other and look forward to your support.