Experimental validation and modeling analysis of an absorption-assisted hollow fiber membrane contactor for direct air capture
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Direct air capture (DAC) is an essential part of the climate change mitigation strategy in which using an absorption-assisted hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) is considered a new and promising alternative to existing DAC technologies. In this study, the CO 2 capture potential has been experimentally investigated using both an axial- and a cross flow configuration considering KOH, MEA and MDEA as solvents at various concentrations and different air flow rates. Furthermore, a detailed two-dimensional model of a single membrane fiber has been developed to describe the CO 2 capture taking into account mass transfer resistances in the gas phase and through the membrane as well as reaction kinetics, CO 2 solubility, and diffusion within the solvent. The developed model has been validated by comparison with the experimental data, indicating a strong alignment between the model results and the experiments. A performance evaluation of a cross flow HFMC based on KOH as solvent has been conducted to identify key parameters that govern the process performance in terms of CO 2 productivity and specific energy consumption. In this regard, solvent concentration, air velocity, membrane fiber thickness, and membrane packing density are highlighted as essential parameters. Additionally, the performance evaluation indicates that the cross flow HFMC can achieve a CO 2 productivity and a specific energy consumption comparable to or even outperforming the existing benchmark liquid-based DAC contactors. This study hereby emphasizes the promising potential of using an absorption-assisted HFMC for DAC applications.
Institution: Aalborg University
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,060
OpenAlex ID: W7212211849