SIMULAÇÃO E AVALIAÇÃO DO PROCESSO DE TRATAMENTO E PURIFICAÇÃO DO BIOGÁS DE VINHAÇA POR ABSORÇÃO QUÍMICA COM AMINAS

Abstract

The increasing consumption of fossil fuels has driven the search for renewable energy sources, with biogas emerging as a promising alternative. In the sugarcane industry, vinasse—the primary waste from ethanol production—can be used for biogas generation through anaerobic digestion. However, impurities such as CO₂ and H₂S limit the energy efficiency of this gas, making purification techniques essential. This study aims to evaluate the performance of vinasse biogas treatment and purification through chemical absorption using amine solutions, employing process modeling and simulation. For this purpose, Aspen Plus V10 was used, a software widely applied in industry and academia for chemical process simulation due to its robustness in predicting thermodynamic properties, phase equilibrium, and optimizing complex systems. The methodology included a literature review, definition of components and thermodynamic models, process flow diagram development in the simulator, and a comparative analysis of the solvents' effects on the process. The evaluated solvents were aqueous solutions of Monoethanolamine (MEA), Diethanolamine (DEA), and Methyldiethanolamine (MDEA). Simulation results demonstrated that, among the tested amine solutions, MDEA exhibited the highest purification efficiency (84.52%), followed by DEA (83.47%) and, lastly, MEA (81.53%).