A Techno-Economic Feasibility and Performance Analysis of the CO2 Capture Process Using Supersonic Separator and Methyldiethanolamine Sweetening

This study compared the performance and economic feasibility of two carbon capture technologies: Supersonic Separator (SS) and Chemical Absorption (CA) using Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). Process simulations of natural gas processing plants were utilized through Aspen HYSYS. The resulted demonstrated that in CO2-rich fields, SS achieved a maximum exergy efficiency of 74.01%, due to the absence of solvent regeneration. In contrast, CA demonstrated superior CO2 removal in methane-rich streams, particularly at high pressures (51.34 bar) and flow rates (50 MMSCFD). The economic analysis indicated that CA offered a shorter Payback Period (PBP) and higher internal rate of return, making it suitable for short-term applications, while SS provided greater long-term profitability. The novelty of this work lied in its integrated evaluation of thermodynamic performance and economic viability across diverse gas compositions, providing a decision-making framework for optimizing Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) strategies in the natural gas sector.