Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Methane mitigation is critical for limiting short-term climate impact, making methane reduction technologies of increasing interest. In this study, we investigate adsorption-basedmethane capture from diluted sources, targeting barn ventilation air as a representative andclimate-relevant agricultural emission. We develop a sub-ambient vacuum temperature swingadsorption (VTSA) process concept and employ a rate-based column model coupled withmulti-objective optimization to systematically evaluate three sorbents, two MOFs and zeolite13X, accounting for CO2–CH4–N2 competitive adsorption. Optimal operating conditionsare identified that balance methane purity and recovery against productivity and specificexergy consumption. Among the sorbents studied, ATC-Cu exhibits the best performance,achieving a methane purity of approximately 2% with a recovery of 20%, corresponding to a200-fold enrichment from a 100 ppm. Although the achieved purity remains below the lowerflammability limit, it is sufficient to enable efficient downstream catalytic conversion. Theminimum specific exergy consumption is 74 MJ kg-1 CO2eq (2184 MJ kg-1 CH4), indicatingthat methane capture from diluted sources is inherently energy-intensive compared todirect air capture of CO2. A sensitivity analysis on the mass transfer coefficient, varied overtwo orders of magnitude, reveals that adsorption kinetics strongly governs both separationperformance and the productivity–energy trade-off, highlighting the need for experimentalkinetic data at relevant conditions. Notably, the process also enables simultaneous CO2 cocapture, with ATC-Cu achieving up to 50% CO2 purity and 45% recovery without dedicated optimization, highlighting opportunities for combined greenhouse gas mitigation.
Authors: Kian Karimi, Matteo Gazzani
Institutions: Utrecht University, Eindhoven University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,060
OpenAlex ID: W7214971543