Solid Amine CO2 Removal System for Submarine Application

Maintaining the ambient CO₂ partial pressure as low as practical within available space and power limitations is desirable for the extended submerged operations of modern nuclear submarines. Existing liquid amine systems are designed to control CO₂ partial pressure to a minimum of 0.5 percent. Advanced technology utilizing commercially available solid amine resin is being developed for an improved CO₂ removal system capable of 0.2% CO₂ partial pressure. The solid amine is regenerated by heating it with atmospheric pressure steam. Amine bed dynamics during the regeneration process allow the CO₂ to be highly concentrated. The major components in this system's conceptual design include four beds of solid amine resin, a process air fan, a steam generator for amine regeneration, a condensing heat exchanger, and a CO₂ compressor. A sequencing controller provides continuous system operation by cycling the solid amine beds between CO₂ absorption and regeneration.

Development testing has been performed on a one-tenth scale individual bed system. Both parametric and cyclic tests have proven the system concept and demonstrated the extended life of the solid amine material. The paper discusses the results and conclusions from development testing and describes the CO₂ removal system conceptual design and operation. A comparison is given between the solid amine system and existing CO₂ scrubbers.