carbon sequestration plant engineer Interview Questions and Answers

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Carbon Sequestration Plant Engineer Interview Questions

  1. What are the different methods of carbon capture and storage (CCS)?

    • Answer: CCS methods broadly fall into pre-combustion, post-combustion, and oxy-fuel combustion. Pre-combustion involves converting fuel into hydrogen and CO2 before combustion. Post-combustion captures CO2 from the flue gas after combustion. Oxy-fuel combustion burns fuel in pure oxygen, producing a concentrated CO2 stream. Other methods include direct air capture (DAC), which removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere.

  2. Explain the process of post-combustion carbon capture.

    • Answer: Post-combustion capture involves using solvents (like amines) or other technologies (membranes, adsorption) to selectively absorb CO2 from the flue gas of a power plant or industrial facility. The CO2 is then separated, purified, compressed, and transported for storage.

  3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using amines for CO2 capture?

    • Answer: Advantages include high CO2 absorption capacity and relatively mature technology. Disadvantages include high energy consumption for regeneration, solvent degradation, and potential corrosion issues.

  4. Describe the different types of geological storage for CO2.

    • Answer: Geological storage options include depleted oil and gas reservoirs, saline aquifers, and unmineable coal seams. The choice depends on factors like reservoir capacity, injectivity, and proximity to emission sources.

  5. How is the integrity of a CO2 storage site monitored?

    • Answer: Monitoring involves a combination of techniques, including seismic monitoring to detect induced seismicity, pressure and geochemical monitoring to track CO2 movement, and surface-based monitoring of soil and groundwater.

  6. What are the key engineering challenges in designing a large-scale CCS plant?

    • Answer: Challenges include high capital costs, energy penalty associated with capture and compression, scalability to industrial scale, and long-term monitoring and verification of storage security.

  7. What are the safety considerations for CO2 transportation and storage?

    • Answer: Safety concerns include pipeline integrity, leak detection and prevention, potential for CO2 leakage into the atmosphere or groundwater, and risk assessment of induced seismicity.

  8. What are some of the economic factors affecting the feasibility of CCS projects?

    • Answer: Economic factors include the cost of carbon capture technology, transportation costs, storage costs, potential carbon pricing mechanisms, and government incentives or regulations.

  9. Explain the concept of carbon capture utilization (CCU).

    • Answer: CCU involves capturing CO2 and using it as a feedstock for other products, like fuels, chemicals, or building materials, offering a valuable alternative to simply storing the CO2.

  10. What role does process simulation play in the design of a CCS plant?

    • Answer: Process simulation is crucial for optimizing plant design, predicting performance, identifying potential bottlenecks, and evaluating different technologies and operating parameters.

  11. What are the environmental impacts of CCS, both positive and negative?

    • Answer: Positive impacts include reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Negative impacts might include energy consumption associated with capture, potential for CO2 leakage, and the environmental impact of construction and operation of the plant.

  12. How do you ensure the long-term integrity of a CO2 storage site?

    • Answer: Long-term integrity is ensured through careful site selection, robust design and construction of injection wells, comprehensive monitoring programs, and development of contingency plans for potential leaks.

  13. What are the different types of compressors used in CO2 pipelines?

    • Answer: Various compressor types are used, including reciprocating, centrifugal, and axial compressors. The choice depends on factors like pressure, flow rate, and CO2 purity.

  14. What are the regulatory aspects involved in deploying a CCS project?

    • Answer: Regulatory aspects include obtaining permits for construction and operation, complying with emission standards, ensuring safety regulations are met, and adhering to regulations related to CO2 storage and transportation.

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