Modelling and parametric studies of membrane modules for gas separation

The history and development of membrane gas separation technology dates back to the proposal made by Thomas Graham in 1866. It took a long time for the idea to become a reality, but the technology has now advanced to an industrial level with a market of over $1 billion per year. Membrane gas separation is now used for a range of applications, including air separation, natural gas sweetening, and CO2 capture. However, the development of new membrane materials is necessary due to limitations in long-term stability and selectivity/permeability trade-offs. This work discusses the importance of mathematical modeling and simulation in membrane gas separation research, including the development of a 1-D model for a hollow fibre membrane module which takes into account non-ideality, pressure drops, and energy balance. The implementation and validation of this model in gPROMS® Process Academic is presented, along with the results of a parametric study on the separation of a CO2/CH4 mixture.